CARE PATHWAY

C&A offers DBT informed treatment services designed for clients aged 13 years and older who are exhibiting significant difficulties regulating their emotions. C&A offers DBT informed therapy as part of the Care Pathway Program to assist the most at-risk youth who have a history of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts or self-harm acts. The DBT informed interventions are provided to address significant mood dysregulation, the inability to appropriately manage emotional responses and to decrease high risk behaviors. Adolescents may also be appropriate for DBT informed services if they are exhibiting any of the following:


  • Extreme mood swings
  • Making your own problems worse
  • Black and white thinking
  • Poor boundaries
  • Quick to “fly off the handle”
  • Stormy relationships
  • Extreme food issues or substance abuse


If an adolescent is experiencing any of the symptoms listed above and these symptoms are creating difficulties in an adolescent’s everyday functioning, DBT informed therapy services can teach them the skills they need to respond to their intense emotions in productive ways to get those emotional needs met.

Assessment:

Clients will undergo a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to identify the appropriate level of care. The youth will then be placed into an appropriate Program and will be referred to DBT informed services based on symptoms and level of care. Client’s may be placed into the Care Pathway Program for treatment if they are determined to be at a high level of need and/or risk as identified in the assessment. The assessment of needs/risk is an ongoing process, utilizing the Zero Suicide Framework. Referral to the Care Pathway Program or the appropriate DBT informed services can occur immediately following assessment. The client can also be identified as being appropriate for the Care Pathway and/or DBT informed services while involved in treatment with another program at C&A.

Treatment:

DBT is the primary modality of treatment. The Care Pathway Program provides DBT informed care through the utilization of the principles of DBT, along with the Zero Suicide Framework principles to provide for the ongoing assessment and management of the client’s needs.


The focus of informed treatment is to teach and equip clients with the skills they need to be able to manage intense emotions, increase healthy responses to these emotions, and reduce at risk behaviors.


DBT Group and individual DBT informed therapy services are offered through this program. Participation in the DBT Group requires a client to also participate in individual therapy as part of the DBT informed treatment model. Appropriateness for group treatment will be based on assessment of the client’s needs and functioning by the assessor or the individual therapy provider.

How to access services:

If not currently participating in services with C&A, the first step is to set up an intake appointment by calling a C&A office. You will then be scheduled for an appointment with an assessor to complete a Comprehensive Assessment. Once this assessment is completed, the assessor can recommend the appropriate services and make the needed referrals.


Current C&A clients can be referred to DBT informed services by their ongoing C&A provider as appropriate based on the client’s symptoms and functioning.

Additional Support:

Services that are also available to those participating in the Care Pathway Program include Peer Support Services and services for treatment of substance use disorders.


The Care Pathway Program serves youth in Stark County and the surrounding communities. Services provided are outpatient services and not crisis services.

Stacy Pancher-Rippey

Program Manager

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