Our Good Neighbor Policy

Evolve endeavors to be a good neighbor and an upstanding member of each community we serve. We apply our decades of experience to develop intentional policies that ensure we meet these goals and create positive relationships with all our community friends and partners. 

We understand you, as our neighbors and members of the community, may have concerns about our presence. We’re more than happy to answer any questions you may have about our treatment homes, the clients we serve, and the role we play in helping teenagers and their families. 

Our treatment centers are licensed by the California Department of Social Services. We follow all state and city regulations, planning, and zoning laws. We operate under a “Group Home” license, which allows us to serve a maximum of six children at one time. This small size, combined with a high staff-client ratio, allows us to provide the oversight, evidence-based care, and safety our teens need. 

This also allows us to be the best neighbors possible, which means – unless you need us – that we strive to be invisible neighbors. 

Professional Staff 

Our staff is made up of clinically trained, licensed mental health professionals with experience working with adolescents. Each facility has a full-time clinical program director, an on-site nurse, and a full complement of expert therapists and counselors. We maintain a 1:3 staff to client ratio at all times. 

The safety of our clients and our neighbors is paramount. Boys and girls receiving treatment at Evolve are supervised 24/7/365 by our team of highly qualified professionals. We utilize strict line-of-sight policies, state-of-the-art monitoring technology, and maintain a high staff-to-client ratio. By keeping our clients safe, we keep our neighbors safe. 

Who We Treat 

We help teens ages 12-17 diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Before accepting a client, our admissions team, led by a licensed therapist, completes a thorough review of their history, including all hospital, school, and psychiatric records and relevant documentation. This review allows us to verify that each resident is appropriate for an unlocked environment and do not present a danger to other clients, staff, or the community. Our clients choose Evolve because of our treatment record, our dedication to safety, and the family-first ethos we prioritize in everything we do. 

We do not accept clients with a history of violent behavior. 

Our skills-based programming focuses on mindfulness, effective communication, and distress tolerance. We teach our teens practical ways to manage stress and regulate their emotions. 

Noise, Activity, and the Condition of Our Homes 

Our staff is committed to maintaining a safe and tranquil environment that helps young people heal, reconnect with their true selves, rediscover their passions, and develop practical skills that promote long-term recovery. 

Our teen treatment centers are unlike adult treatment programs where clients often gather outside, smoke cigarettes, or come and go independently. 

We enforce a strict no smoking, no alcohol, and no drugs policy. 

We also maintain rigorous supervision protocols. Teens are never allowed out of line-of-sight and line-of-hearing. Staff supervise clients when outdoors, during exercise activities, swimming, or playing outdoor games. We keep clients engaged in treatment, treatment-related, or therapeutic activities at all times. 

Neighbors tell us our houses are quieter than a typical house with teenagers. You won’t hear loud music and we don’t host late-night parties. Our program schedules provide daily structure, consisting of therapeutic groups such as yoga, mindful cooking, and art therapy. We include education and fitness-related activities as well. Our clients do not have excess free time. The recreation time they do have is supervised and typically involves playing cards, board games, journaling, exercising, or doing arts and crafts. Teens also use this time to call their parents or siblings. 

We meet and exceed all safety standards required for a typical residential treatment home. We maintain our property to the standards set by each community. Surveillance cameras monitor our properties 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the security of our adolescents and neighbors. We respond immediately to any concerns. We care about our neighbors and instruct our staff to be respectful, mindful, and courteous at all times. 

We embrace the adage a good neighbor is an invisible neighbor. 

Parking and Traffic 

Our homes have ample parking for daily staff. If we hold a public event, we hire a valet. Our core professional staff is on-site between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm Monday through Friday, with supervisory staff on-site 24/7 on a standard three-shift schedule. This means our staff commuting times do not overlap with typical commuting hours. 

We do meaningful, important work with our teenage clients and their families. By being good neighbors in safe and quiet neighborhoods, we make it possible for adolescents to get the help they need in a comfortable home environment conducive to growth and recovery. 

We welcome any questions, comments, or concerns you have. We are completely transparent about who we are and what we do. If you want to know more, please email us at neighbors@evolvetreatment.com. The Evolve Executive Leadership Team reads and responds to every email we receive. 

Before opening a new treatment center, we invite neighbors and community members to meet our local leadership team. We hold an open house and welcome anyone to take a tour and see our homes and grounds. We provide contact information to the facility for day-to-day questions or concerns. We welcome your interest and are happy to address any questions you have. We look forward to participating in local homeowners associations, security patrols, and other good neighbor activities specific to each location.