Our comprehensive adolescent DBT Program is for teens age 13 through grade 12 and their families.  We use a curriculum based on the work of Miller, Rathus, and Linehan.

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Please read our general description of DBT for more information about what DBT treats, Components of DBT, and the DBT skills.  Please also read our DBT FAQ.

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First, clients are assessed to determine what services we recommend.  We start with a phone call with the teen and parent, then the family is further assessed during the pretreatment process.  Pretreatment involves individual sessions before starting multifamily group.

 

We have two Adolescent DBT Services: Comprehensive DBT and Multifamily Skills Group Only.

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Comprehensive Adolescent DBT includes:

• One hour per week of Adolescent Individual DBT Therapy with an in-house DBT clinician, offered virtually or in-person. (or an outside therapist is allowed for clients with milder symptoms; however this is not Comprehensive DBT. It is Multifamily Skills Group only.  A treatment plan for collaboration would be developed with this outside therapist).

• Once a week DBT Skill Training for teen and parents offered either virtually in a Multi-Family DBT Skills Training Group for families or individually in an in-person session with teen and parents. 

  • Teen and at least one parent or guardian must attend skills training for 6 months.  Both parents are encouraged to attend. 

  • Virtual group time is Tuesdays 4:45 - 6:15pm.  Read about the DBT skills. 

    • Adolescents learn the skills in creative and age-appropriate ways and benefit from a supportive environment to share skills learning with their peers.

    • Parents/Guardians learn skills to regulate themselves in the face of family challenges (because the skills are helpful to everyone), to model the skills for their teen, and to be able to coach their teen in using the skills at home.  Parents support each other in group.

    • Teens and Parents meet separately for homework review the first half of the group and then come together for a mindfulness and activity and to learn a new skill.

  • Alternatively, if in-person instruction is most helpful and desired, we provide this taylored, individual instruction in a 30 minute session.  Parents are still included in the skills training.​

• Skills Phone Coaching as needed 

  • Adolescents can call their individual therapist between sessions for brief skills coaching to generalize the skills to their real life.​

  • Parents can call their group leader for skills and parent coaching between sessions.​ Multifamily Skills Group only clients do no receive skills coaching.

• Parenting Skills Class.  Parents attend two pre-treatment sessions with Dr. Rankin and a 6 week DBT Parenting Skills Group (evening, virtual).  Ongoing or parent sessions are recommended as needed. 

• Family Sessions. Families participate in family therapy sessions as needed.

• DBT Consultation Team.  Team enhances therapist capability.  Your therapists are receiving consultation, support, and training throughout your treatment.

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​Billing and Entry Points for Groups:

• Going through all the skills is 24 sessions over 6 months.  

• Entry points are at the beginning of each Mindfulness 2 session section.  Remember that you must do pretreatment before starting the group, however.

• Group is prebilled for each Module (7-9 sessions).

• Parenting class is also prebilled for all 6 weeks. 

• You will be given a statement after each session to submit to the insurance company for reimbursement

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Multi-Family Skills Group will occur on the schedule.  Tuesdays(virtual). You can only enter a group after pretreatment:

Group Billing will occur on the following schedule:

Module starting October 24, 2023:

           7 sessions of Mindfulness/Middle Path/Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills

           -No Group November 21 (Thanksgiving week)

Module starting Dec 19, 2023:

          8 sessions of Mindfulness/Middle Path/Distress Tolerance Skills 

          No Group Dec 26 (New Year’s week)

Module starting Feb 20, 2024:

          9 sessions of Mindfulness/Middle Path/Emotion Regulation Skills

Module starting April 23, 2024:

          7 sessions of Mindfulness/Middle Path/Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills 

Module starting June 11, 2024:

          8 sessions of Mindfulness/Middle Path/Distress Tolerance Skills 

          No Group July 2  (July 4th week)

Module starting August 13, 2024:

          9 sessions of Mindfulness/Middle Path/Emotion Regulation Skills

          No Group September 3 (Labor Day week)

Module starting October 22, 2024:

          7 sessions of Mindfulness/Middle Path/Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills

          No Group November 26 (Thanksgiving week)

Module starting Dec 17, 2023:

          7 sessions of Mindfulness/Middle Path/Distress Tolerance Skills 

          No Group Dec 25 or Dec 31 (Winter Holidays)

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