May is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month and an excellent time to focus on protective factors that help youth get a healthy start in life. While the number of adolescents reporting poor mental health is increasing, helping them build connectedness with others can help protect their mental health. Connectedness is the sense of being cared for,…
Feb. 2, 2021 (NORMAN, Okla. ) — Red River Youth Academy has named Keri Sexton as Chief Executive Officer. Sexton joined the staff at the psychiatric residential treatment center in February 2020 as Human Resources Director. She brings to the organization experience in human resources in nursing home and senior living facilities, in addition to…
Starting a new school year can lead to anxiety in children during normal times, however going back to school in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic brings new social-emotional and behavioral challenges. Depending on where you live, school may be in-person, online, or a hybrid of the two, any of which may impact a child’s…
Childhood trauma can have a profound impact on a child’s development, behavior, ability to cope with normal stress, and future mental and physical health. Thanks to the groundbreaking CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, more and more people recognize the significance of childhood trauma as it relates to adult health and well-being. By fostering…
We are pleased to announce that, after a brief pause, Red River Youth Academy is now accepting new admissions for our psychiatric residential treatment program. We have beds available for boys 7-17 and girls 12-17 who meet criteria including severe aggression, suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, and self-harm. The general length of stay is 30-90 days…
A message from CEO Amy Summers, LPC March 25, 2020 Beginning today, Red River Youth Academy is temporarily suspending admissions as we monitor the evolving coronavirus situation. We are assessing things day to day and will keep you up to date via email and social media regarding any changes in our admissions process. We continue…
We are still open, fully staffed, and continuing to accept new patients. We are continuing heightened cleaning and infection risk management protocols to protect our residents and staff during this global Coronavirus crisis. This includes:— Entry into our facility is only through the front lobby.— Everyone entering our facility must have their temperature checked in…
At Red River Youth Academy, we are focused on keeping our patients and staff healthy and safe. We continue to monitor the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation and are working in partnership with our state and county health departments, with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current preventative measures include increasing the…
Madison* started cutting her arms when she was 13. She was dealing with high levels of stress from school pressures, body image, and relationships with friends, and did not have the healthy coping skills needed to manage her feelings. She knew of girls who cut themselves as a means of feeling better, and she decided…
July 1, 2019 (NORMAN, Okla.) Red River Youth Academy is pleased to announce that it has entered into a management consulting agreement with Vizion Health LLC, a privately-owned healthcare company located in Charlotte, N.C. Vizion brings a seasoned behavioral healthcare team with decades of experience and a reputation for ethical, trustworthy, and successful business practices to the 64-bed psychiatric residential treatment facility in Norman,…
Each spring, our residents and staff look forward to preparing and planting our Garden of Eatin’. Our residents are involved in the gardening process from starting seeds in trays on their units to harvesting vegetables in the summer and fall. Working in the garden provides many benefits for children and adolescents. The hands-on work of…
We’re kicking back and having some bouncy, splashy fun today to celebrate the last day of the school year! Residents are enjoying a change of pace with a water slide and bouncy house.
Many studies have been done that show the importance of affection on children and their proper development into adulthood. Harry Harlow, an American psychologist, conducted studies on infant rhesus monkeys. In his research, he took the monkeys from their mothers and placed them in isolation or with either a wire and straw replacement with milk…
When adults see children and adolescents, they think they are so full of life and have such bright futures. Looks can be deceiving. Young people are sometimes hiding fears, insecurities, and feelings of hopelessness from which they think they cannot escape. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in those age 10 and 24,…
Happy Red River Week! During the week of July 1-7, the staff at Red River Youth Academy are celebrating our third anniversary, and we have some fun activities planned. We’ve experienced some positive changes over the past three years under the Meridian Behavioral Health Systems umbrella, including a complete remodel, refocusing our program on trauma-informed…
When adults see children and adolescents, they think they are so full of life and have such bright futures. Looks can be deceiving. Young people are sometimes hiding fears, insecurities, and feelings of hopelessness from which they think they cannot escape.
Frequently, parents may find it hard to know if a child is having mental health issues or if they are experiencing typical physical or emotional growing pains. With the incidence of mental illness in children at such an alarming rate, being aware of signs and symptoms is important. May 7-13 is Children’s Mental Health Awareness…
Many people think of childhood as a time of carefree summer days and the love and support of family. In reality, that is not always the case. Every day, countless children experience traumatic events that not only affect their well-being in childhood, but, if unaddressed, will have a profound impact on their adult life as…
Red River Youth Academy recognizes the important role school counselors play in supporting students’ mental health and helping them achieve school success, and we join our counselor colleagues in celebrating National School Counseling Week, Feb. 5-9. The theme of this year’s celebration is “School Counselors: Helping Students Reach for the Stars.” It is the special…
We would like to allay concerns and squash false rumors that Red River Youth Academy is closing in February. This is not the case whatsoever. There are no plans to close the facility. Proposed cuts to SoonerCare (Medicaid) reimbursement for psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) services were taken off the table earlier this fall. During…
Following are public comments made by Red River Youth Academy CEO Amy Steely at the Nov. 2, 2017 Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) rate committee hearing regarding the consequences of mental health rate and service cuts that will take place if the state legislature fails to adequately fund the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health…
Our residents did a great job planting, tending, and harvesting two varieties of pumpkins in our very own pumpkin patch this year. This week, they also enjoyed fun games, crafts, and trick-or-treating throughout our facility.
The futures of children struggling with behavioral health conditions are in the hands of Oklahoma legislators; bipartisan support for passage of the cigarette tax is needed Do we want children in our state to struggle with behavioral health conditions that cause continuing problems in the home, at school, and in communities? Or do we want to…
On Oct. 18, Commissioner Terri White of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services announced that SoonerCare reimbursement for all psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) services and outpatient services will end on Dec. 1, 2017 if the legislature does not find funding to make up for the significant budget hole that was…
Red River Youth Academy is pleased to announce the Sept. 1 opening of its new boys’ unit, offering residential behavioral health treatment to boys ages 8-11. The facility focuses on treating youth with severe anger, aggression, and defiance, and continues to provide services for adolescent males and females, ages 12-17. “Expanding our program to 8- to…
Continual feedback is an important part of the process improvement efforts at Red River Youth Academy. We value the opinions and feedback provided by our clients and their parents/caregivers at discharge from our program. Â During the first quarter of this year, 46 parents and 51 clients completed satisfaction surveys at discharge. 96 percent…
Red River Youth Academy is pleased to announce the opening of its new adolescent female unit, offering residential behavioral health treatment to girls 12-17.
Red River Youth Academy is pleased to announce the opening of its new adolescent female unit, offering residential behavioral health treatment to girls 12-17. The facility focuses on treating youth with severe anger, aggression, and defiance, and continues to provide services for adolescent males. Red River will begin admitting adolescent females on April 3. “We saw…
Red River Youth Academy is pleased to announce the appointment of AJ Basquine, LPC, as clinical director. Basquine has been a member of the residential treatment center’s counseling staff since 2012, working with adolescent boys with severe anger, aggression, and defiant behaviors. He has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Human…
Earlier this month we shared results from our 2016 parent/guardian surveys, providing a snapshot of their level of satisfaction with the quality of adolescent behavioral health care and services provided at Red River Youth Academy. Our residents’ feedback is equally important, and we end the month with highlights from our 2016 resident surveys. 97% of…
Throughout 2016 we surveyed residents’ parents and guardians about the quality of care and service provided at our behavioral health treatment facility. Here is a snapshot of some of the key results and parents’ feedback. 94% of parents/guardians agreed that they were satisfied with the care given to their child. “We felt (our son) got…
The holidays are traditionally a time for families and friends to come together for quality time and celebration, however it can be a time of family discord and challenge for parents caring for a child struggling with a behavioral or emotional disorder. A sudden angry outburst, mood swings, unexpected aggression toward another, or defiance can…
Continuing our series on adolescent behavioral and emotional disorders treated at Red River Youth Academy, this week our focus is on disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD). It is common for youth to have temper tantrums and be angry, irritable, moody, and upset on occasion. However, when these behaviors are severe, persistent, and unusual for the…
Today and every day, we are thankful for the amazing staff at Red River Youth Academy who make a difference in young men’s lives every day. It takes a special kind of person to work in residential adolescent behavioral health. You need to have patience, flexibility, empathy, compassion, a calm demeanor, good listening skills, resilience…
Red River Youth Academy is pleased to announce the appointment of Amy Steely, LPC, as Chief Executive Officer. Steely had served as the adolescent residential treatment center’s Admissions Coordinator since May. She was instrumental in establishing the facility’s day treatment program, Red River Day School, in 2015 and served as Clinical Director for the program…
Red River Youth Academy is pleased to announce the appointment of Amy Steely, LPC, as Chief Executive Officer Amy Steely, LPC, Chief Executive Officer.
November is National Adoption Month and Red River Youth Academy salutes parents who have welcomed children into their families through adoption and the child welfare professionals who work to find loving homes for children who need families. This year’s theme, “We Never Outgrow the Need for Family” spotlights the important need to provide permanent family…
Many people of all ages look forward to the fun of Halloween each year with wearing costumes, attending parties, visiting haunted houses, and trick-or-treating. However, for those with a mental health condition, Halloween may be a time of heightened anxiety. While some people enjoy gory scenes, bloody costumes and make-up, and the adrenaline rush associated…
This week, we look at another behavioral and emotional disorder experienced by adolescents: intermittent explosive disorder. IED is characterized by unpredictable and explosive outbursts of uncontrollable aggression, usually lasting fewer than 30 minutes, that occur frequently, often along with periods of less severe outbursts. The aggression may be physical and/or verbal and targeted at another person, property,…
Did you know that 20 percent of Oklahoma public school students have been bullied on school property and 14 percent have been victims of cyber-bullying (via email, chat rooms, instant messaging, a website, text message, or social media)? Bullying can leave physical and emotional scars that may negatively impact a young person’s well-being into adulthood. October is…
The first full week of October is designated Mental Illness Awareness Week. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of mental illness, fight stigma, and advocate for equal care. One in five adults and youth experience a diagnosable mental illness every year and half of chronic mental illnesses appear early in life, in many cases…
Rebelling against authority can be considered normal developmental behavior for adolescents. However, when it becomes an ongoing pattern of defiant, uncooperative, talking back, and hostile behavior toward parents, teachers, and other authority figures, and it interferes with a youth’s daily functioning, you may be dealing with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). ODD is a mental health…
We are often asked what kinds of diagnoses are treated at Red River Youth Academy. Our residential treatment program focuses on working with adolescent males who struggle with anger, aggression, and defiance – behaviors that are symptoms of underlying causes common with diagnoses such as: Oppositional Defiant Disorder Intermittent Explosive Disorder Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder…
This year’s National Zarrow Mental Health Symposium, Sept. 28-30, at the Cox Business Center in Downtown Tulsa, offers three days of learning, idea sharing, and networking. This year’s theme is “Ready for Zero: Innovative and Sustainable Solutions for Housing and Recovery” with programming that emphasizes a wide variety of tools and strategies aimed at ending…
Did you know that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24 in the United States? Â Oklahoma ranks 12th in the nation for the number of youth suicides. Â A recent study found that 15% of Oklahoma youth surveyed reported having serious suicidal ideation. Â Oklahoma, Tulsa, Cleveland, Comanche, and Canadian Counties…
August is National Truancy Prevention Month and as school starts for many districts this month it is a good time to consider the impact that underlying mental health factors may have on a child’s repeated unexcused absences. Research conducted by the Clark County Truancy Project found that truant youth have a higher prevalence of underlying…
While children across America head back to school, be it traditional public schools, private schools, home schools, or online schools, youth in residential treatment centers (RTCs) face a different kind of back-to-school experience. Youth in RTCs receive education services in a therapeutic environment with structured schedules that include a combination of educational, recreational, and clinical…
Last week, we shared information about risk factors and early warning signs of mental health disorders to be aware of as our adolescent youth return to school. This week, we consider things you can do to provide support and guidance for a youth with a mental health condition as they begin a new school year.…
Recognizing and treating mental health problems early can help prevent the development of a more serious illness in the future.
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