The Launch Program helps young adults who have not achieved independence from their parents, due to mental illness such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder or substance abuse. As part of this program, the young client and their family receives a combination of individual treatment, life and executive skills coaching, patient self-management skills training, support therapy group meetings, and family therapy, along with ongoing psychiatric follow-up. 

A multidisciplinary treatment team works intensively with both the client and the family to develop skills to facilitate the young adult's independence. Under the guidance of the treatment team the family sets up an "individual apartment" within the family home where the young adult with therapeutic support for their mental illness and special skills training learns to independently take responsibility for the management of their mental health or substance abuse issues and their general living until they are ready to transition to their own separate living environment. 

An individualized treatment plan is customized for each young adult and their family after an initial assessment, which may include some of the following services:

Initial Diagnostic Assessment / Comprehensive Testing 

An initial diagnostic assessment is conducted to screen the client's cognitive, psychological, social and academic or vocational functioning. If the symptoms identified during the initial assessment indicate a more serious chronic mental health disorder and the client has never been tested and/or diagnosed then a more in-depth comprehensive assessment will be recommended such as a Cognitive Assessment to diagnose ADHD, Neuropsychological Evaluation, Personality and Psychological Assessment or a Specific Learning Disability Assessment. A comprehensive assessment with standardized testing is valuable in making a more accurate diagnosis, to identify any co-existing disorders and other issues such as insomnia and to identify the client's specific treatment needs. The results of this testing can also be used to obtain academic accommodations for college if the client wants to continue their education at a college level.

Vocational testing and guidance is also available for client's who are not sure of their career path, the academic requirements for those careers or who want to change their career. Through testing the program is able to match careers with the client's interests, personality and aptitudes.

Individual Therapy 

Intensive individual therapy which may include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques to promote his identification of situations that trigger his unwanted emotions or behaviors and thinking patterns resulting in negative emotions such anxiety, depression or frustration and behaviors such as substance abuse, anger outbursts or cutting. CBT then helps the client learn more effective coping skills to manage their emotions and behaviors related to these trigger situations more effectively. 

Medication Management   

A psychiatric, complex medical evaluation or existing medication review by our adult, adolescent and child psychiatrist to identify whether medication could be used to treat the young adult's symptoms or determine whether their existing medication regime is effectively treating their symptoms. The psychiatrist will then closely monitor the client on a regular basis to determine whether they are benefitting the medication prescribed to target his symptoms.

Patient Self-Management Skills Training

Patient self-management I the primary treatment goal of the program. Skills training to help the young adult take responsibility for managing their mental illness with the support of their doctor and therapist rather than just relying on their parents to intervene when they cannot care for themselves is a critical part of this program. Patient self-management skills training includes:

• Educating the young adult about their mental illness, how the treatment they are receiving actually works. 
  
• Recognizing the importance of treatment compliance to prevent relapse. 
  
• Maintenance of a routine that includes regular exercise, good sleep hygiene, and a healthy diet.
  
• Stress management skills and recognizing and avoiding stressful situations that will put them at risk for relapse.
  
• Recognizing their early symptoms which signal their relapse.
  
• Recognize the importance of early intervention and develop an intervention plan for when these early symptoms start. 
  

Family Therapy and Parent Counseling                                     

Family therapy is a critical part of this program to help the parents and family members stop enabling the young adult and facilitate their independence. Family therapy is also used to promote the young adults coping skills, improve communications between family members, resolve conflict, understand roles and set appropriate boundaries.   

Academic and Executive Skills Coaching for College or Career    

Many young adults have ended up living at home after not coping with college due to mental illness or executive skill deficits in skills such as organization and planning, prioritizing, impulse control, emotional regulation, shifting from one activity to another, Initiating and completing tasks, self-monitoring, time-management and working memory which have resulted in procrastination and the student becoming overwhelmed and failing. The Initial assessment will identify any executive skill deficits and executive skill coaching is provided to teach the client strategies and tools to compensate for the deficits identified. In addition to general academic support and encouragement coaches is focused on the client's day to day challenges and includes topics such as:

• Developing a timeline which includes assignment due dates, and dates for tests and exams in order to successfully juggle college demands.
  
• Effective study habits, time management skills, organization, and planning ahead to meet deadlines. 
  
• Completing research papers and projects using mind mapping software. 
  
• Applying for academic accommodations if the client qualifies.                                                   
  

Job Search/ Job Maintenance Skills 

In order to achieve more financial independence, the client learns job seeking skills. The counselor facilitates the client’s progress in applying and interviewing for a job then maintaining his job. 

Life Skills Coaching 

• Meal planning, grocery shopping, food preparation, kitchen skills, household upkeep and laundry. 
  
• Financial management, budgeting and household shopping.         
  
• Personal safety, hygiene, sleeping and organization.   
  
• Essential social skills and self-advocacy.                         
  

Relationship Skills / Young Adult Group

Participation in our young adult support group helps the client develop more effective social skills in a safe environment and helps the client to promote positive relationships and identification with similar-aged peers. 

Ongoing Monitoring 

The client's frequent contact with members of the treatment team allows the team to monitor the progress or changes and/or worsening of their symptoms as an essential component of their treatment.