Residential Treatment/Residential Care

At Edgewood, we work hard to change the lives of the 40 children who live and attend school in an open campus setting as part of our Residential Treatment Program.

Program Description

Our Residential Treatment Program serves children ages 5 to 17. Many of these children have suffered from abuse, neglect, or other severe trauma and most have been in several different foster homes, institutions, and treatment centers before coming to Edgewood. They are children who have not been able to succeed in any setting that they have ever known.

Others come from normal backgrounds, but have experienced severe emotional and/or behavioral problems in all facets of their lives. Most of the children Edgewood serves have potentially average intelligence, but are two or three years behind in school because of their emotional problems. They express their pain through severe behavioral symptoms. They have poor peer relationships, and many are self-destructive. They do not trust adults and do not expect adults to be protective and nurturing.

It is common for Edgewood children to have no known relatives or permanent figures in their lives; it is even more common for them to be psychological orphans. They see themselves as being "monsters" who do not deserve love. Others have parents able and willing to take a major role in the child's healing.

Services Offered

	Case Management
	Child Care/Residential Services
	Art, music and recreation therapy
	Group, Individual and Family Therapy
	Life Skills/Social Skills Education
	Psychiatric and Psychological Consultation
	Occupational Therapy
	Speech and Language Therapy
	Special Education

Referral Sources

Anyone can refer a child to the Residential Treatment Program. Professionals referring a family should be prepared to help the family obtain funding.

Length of Stay

Based on our commitment to helping children successfully return to a less restrictive environment as soon as possible, treatment may take from a few weeks to as long as six month. Those with a history of multiple placements, failure to bond, and serious abuse and neglect may require a longer treatment. Our commitment is to treat each child for as long as necessary to accomplish identified goals.

Funding

Sources of funding include the Missouri Department of Social Services, Division of Family Services and the Community Placement Program of the Missouri Department of Mental Health, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Private insurance companies, HMO's and EAP's may be unfamiliar with residential treatment for children, but many are becoming more flexible as they learn how much more effective and efficient it can be in comparison to repeated hospitalizations.

For more information, contact: