Treatment Philosophy

The treatment program at the Wilton Place Residential Treatment Center is dedicated to enhancing the psychological, emotional, and interpersonal functioning of its residents. Efforts to help residents modify dysfunctional behaviors and to teach improved coping skills are accompanied by an emphasis on accepting and respecting residents as individuals with diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities. By using positive feedback and encouragement in a non-coercive manner while minimizing the use of punishment, the RTC program helps residents grow into healthy, adaptive individuals with a capacity to appropriately manage themselves and to use non-destructive means to deal with their conflicts and frustrations.

In learning to identify maladaptive thoughts, feelings and behaviors, residents come to understand and anticipate the consequences of negative choices and learn to replace these with more effective and lasting solutions to their problems. Residents thereby learn to avoid self-defeating styles of responding to the demands and expectations of their environment. Through the teaching of coping and social skills and by guiding residents to develop alternative ways to handle their difficulties, the program encourages residents to develop a strong, healthy and adaptive sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. In teaching residents appropriate verbal and nonverbal expression of feelings, the program helps affirm and enhance the resident's sense of self-control and optimism.

Building on the strengths and resources of young people, the RTC program encourages the development in residents of a positive value system and a sense of responsibility for themselves and their community. By instilling values and helping residents learn to care for themselves and their community, the RTC program helps residents to become constructive citizens and to achieve their highest potential.

Residents are encouraged to be honest, to accept personal responsibility for their behavior, and to support their peers in doing the same. In doing so, residents come to demonstrate respect for themselves and others, and grow in their capacity to care about other people and the community.

The Residential Treatment Center utilizes a multidisciplinary treatment approach. Team members include an on site and consulting: clinical psychologist, counseling therapist, recreation therapist, psychiatrist, education specialist, dietary consultant, residential care supervisors, and mental health technicians. 

The behavioral level system provides a balance between management of maladaptive behaviors and opportunities for residents to practice independence and responsible autonomy. The environment of the RTC is designed to provide a supportive and therapeutic structure, while helping the residents to take an increasing degree of responsibility for their actions and activities. Each resident’s treatment plan is individualized and goal oriented, taking into account each individual’s age and developmental level, strengths, and weaknesses.

Residential treatment at the Wilton Place RTC is provided within a 24-hour per day, year-round treatment model, which emphasizes the resident’s rights to self-determination.