New youth therapy group comes to area
WESTPORT — Teenagers will have a new resource for mental health and addiction services with a recently added outpatient program at Turnbridge.
Kevin Godburn, Westport’s Youth Services program director, said the new intensive outpatient program is a “great addition” for Westport and the surrounding communities.
“Among the normal challenges of adolescence, kids today are navigating the post-pandemic environment, changing substance landscape, and a world where there’s unfiltered access to content — for better or worse — in the palm of their hands,” said Kevin Godburn, Westport’s Youth Services program director. “Having more resources for support and guidance as they navigate imbalances in their mental wellbeing or difficulty with substance use is a good thing.”
Turnbridge, a treatment center with several locations, has offered an adult intensive outpatient program in Westport since 2019. On March 8, they’re offering outpatient services to 14- through 17- year olds.
“To have them right here in their backyard, where they can still maintain their normal schedule of activities and time with family, is even better,” Godburn said.
Jack Britton, vice president of clinical services, said Turnbridge offers programs for different age groups and levels of care based on individual needs.
The adolescent outpatient program is offered after school, with group sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursday. They also have independent therapy sessions once a week, either after the group sessions or on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Admissions Coordinator Will Testani said the group lets adolescents go “straight from a school to a safe place.”
At the adolescent IOP, teens can receive medication management, but they do not push it as the answer, Britton said. Turnbridge uses a holistic approach to treatment, including promoting sleep, exercise, nutrition and relationships.
Group sessions focus on various topics, such as educational assets and processing. This includes learning coping skills, working with other teens in the group and even planning for the upcoming weekend.
“It’s a moment where somebody can pause and have those times of reflection and challenging what’s been going on in their lives,” Britton said.
It also gives teens a chance to see others with similar experiences while being in their normal home environment.
Though the group is for 14 through 17-year-olds, Britton said Turnbidge can apply for an age waiver with the state if one of the participants is about to to turn 18, so that person can stay in the adolescent program.
Testani said they chose Westport as the location because they already had the adult outpatient group there, and they get a lot of calls in from Fairfield County.
Britton said the program has rolling admissions, so those interested in participating can join at any time. Typically, a family will call to share what is going on with the teen, insurance is then verified, and the appropriate level of care is assigned.
About 95 percent of those who attend Turnbridge use insurance, Britton added. They work in network with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Optimum/United, as well as out-of-network companies.
Testani said that he wants the community to know about the adolescent outpatient program.
He said he had similar experiences to what the teens in the program are going through, except the resources weren’t available to him at the time, or his family was unaware about it.
“Providing a resource that wasn’t available to me is a personal thing,” he said.
Britton said teens may attend the program for various reasons, including at the recommendation of a medical professional. Some professonals may recommend the teen attends a residential inpatient program, such as Turnbridge’s Woodbury location for boys or its Killingworth location for girls, or the new outpatient program in Westport.
Turnbridge isn’t just for those seeking treatment. They also offer family programs, like daily support groups on Zoom and monthly workshops varying in topics from communication to learning about therapy, which are available to the public.
The IOP is available to anybody in Connecticut and even in other states. Britton said they can help anybody find resources, even if whoever reachees out doesn’t end up using Turnbridge, in the end.