FAQs

Everyone has questions when it comes to mental health treatment.

When you’re starting the road to recovery, all the questions you and your family can have can feel overwhelming. Leave those cares behind with our help, as we have all the answers you need when it comes to Evolve’s treatment programs and levels of care.

It can feel at least a little confusing at first, since you have a lot of options. That’s actually a good thing, and we’ll help you sort through choices that get your teen and your family best in care and just the right individualized therapeutic approach.

Get the answers and the help you need to get your family back on track.

Residential Treatment Centers (RTC) FAQs

What should teens bring to residential treatment? 

Most residential treatment centers for youth in California will recommend to bring the following for your teen: Comfortable & Age-appropriate clothing, Approved Prescription Medications, Mementos, and School books & Assignments. Adolescent residential treatment centers in California will have different limitations and requirements and it’s important to clarify what their specific rules are, especially when identifying contraband items. 

How do you place teens in residential treatment? 

It can be difficult to send your loved one to treatment, and it can feel even more difficult to choose between all the residential treatment centers for youth in California. Instead of seeing treatment as a punishment, look at it as an opportunity. If you’re unsure how to begin the search for residential treatment for teens, get a referral from your therapist,

Does insurance cover residential treatment? How do I pay for treatment? 

Most insurance policies do cover teen residential treatment. However, whether or not residential treatment for teens will be covered ultimately depends on your specific plan and coverages. More often than not, insurance companies will have a few prerequisites for covering a high-level residential teen rehab center. Additionally, some insurance companies cover partial cost instead of the entire cost of residential mental health facilities

Will my teen keep up with education/school? 

Yes—if they’re ready. Life does not stop when an adolescent enters residential treatment. We coordinate with schools, teachers, and families to get our teens on track as soon as possible. All our residential treatment centers have school areas fully equipped with everything a student needs—computers, printers, internet access—to keep up with academic work.  

What teens are not appropriate for residential treatment? 

While each teenager is unique, we can safely say that our RTC program is probably not a good option for an individual who has never received any treatment at all for mental health, addiction, or behavioral issues. Residential treatment is an extreme step to take, and teens rarely need this level of care without passing through less intensive levels of care first. 

How many hours per day will my teen receive treatment? 

The treatment environment is in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our teens are in active therapy 3-4 hours per day, not including complementary experiential treatment modes and various support activities. This is a combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.

What are the goals of residential treatment?

Our goal across all levels of care is to give our teenagers the tools to lead a healthy lifestyle when they choose to. We work to make them whole again and provide them with the coping skills they need most. We help them reintegrate into their families, schools, and society-at-large. Many of our teens come to us in a great deal of

What is a typical day like?

Wake-up is usually around 6:30 am and lights out is around 9:30 pm. Over the course of a week, our teens find themselves in individual therapy, family therapy, DBT Skills groups, psychoeducation groups, 12 step meetings, and more.  They also participate in complementary experiential activities like equine therapy, hiking, mindful meditation, surf therapy, rock climbing, art therapy, or engaging in therapeutic performing

PHP/Day Treatment FAQs

What kind of teen benefits from partial hospitalization? 

The PHP program is designed for teenagers who live at home but struggle to maintain balance due to mental health, addiction, and behavioral issues. The PHP program is best for teenagers in distress who need more help than outpatient therapy but are not at the point where they require a residential program. Teenagers whose lives have become difficult to manage, due to 

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What are the goals of partial hospitalization? 

Our goal across all levels of care is to give our teenagers the tools to lead a healthy lifestyle when they choose to. We work to make them whole again and provide them with the coping skills they need most. We help them reintegrate into their families, schools, and society-at-large.  Many of our teens come to us in a great deal of

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How do I know if partial hospitalization is right for my teen? 

During the admissions process, we conduct an over the phone assessment with the parents and review pertinent records. Then we schedule an in-person tour and assessment with each potential client. We will then make a recommendation for level of care and discuss your teen’s specific needs and the best treatment options for them.  

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Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) FAQs

How Do I Know if intensive outpatient Is Right for My Teen? 

During the admissions process, we conduct an over the phone assessment with the parents and review pertinent records. Then we schedule an in-person tour and assessment with each potential client. We will then make a recommendation for level of care and discuss your teen’s specific needs and the best treatment options for them.  

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What kind of teen benefits from intensive outpatient? 

If they show the willingness to learn, grow, and change, they’ll benefit from this program. We do especially well with teens who’ve failed in other treatment situations, but still want to heal. We welcome any teenager committed to learning the skills it takes to change ineffective, problematic behaviors to effective, life-affirming behaviors. The Intensive Outpatient Level of care is designed for teens

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What are the goals of intensive outpatient? 

Our goal across all levels of care is to give our teenagers the tools to lead a healthy lifestyle when they choose to. We work to make them whole again and provide them with the coping skills they need most. We help them reintegrate into their families, schools, and society-at-large.  Many teens come to us in a great deal of pain and

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Yes, most insurance plans will cover at least part of your teen’s intensive outpatient program. We can verify your insurance and explain any out-of-pocket costs before you agree to treatment. 

During the admissions process, we conduct an over the phone assessment with the parents and review pertinent records. Then we schedule an in-person tour and assessment with each potential client. We will then make a recommendation for level of care and discuss your teen’s specific needs and the best treatment options for them.  

If they show the willingness to learn, grow, and change, they’ll benefit from this program. We do especially well with teens who’ve failed in other treatment situations, but still want to heal. We welcome any teenager committed to learning the skills it takes to change ineffective, problematic behaviors to effective, life-affirming behaviors. The Intensive Outpatient […]

Our goal across all levels of care is to give our teenagers the tools to lead a healthy lifestyle when they choose to. We work to make them whole again and provide them with the coping skills they need most. We help them reintegrate into their families, schools, and society-at-large.  Many teens come to us […]

Yes, Evolve is proud to have dedicated psychiatrists on staff. At the IOP level of care, teens see the psychiatrist once every other week. 

The typical length of treatment at our IOP is around two to three months. However, length varies by individual needs, treatment progress, input from clinical staff, and insurance. 

The IOP level of care provides teens with three hours of treatment, four days a week  At our IOP level of care, our teens:  

Insurance FAQs

View our glossary of common insurance terms related to behavioral health.

How does insurance authorization work? 

Insurance authorization works the same way for all treatment centers and for all insurance companies. The insurance company will start the authorization on the day we ask for it.   The insurance company typically authorizes 7 days at a time. We have seen them authorize less and more, but 7 is average. At the end of the 7 days, the insurance company and

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Does Evolve offer flexible payment options? 

We can be flexible when figuring out the best payment option for families. We do not want money to be a hindrance on someone’s ability to get their child the help they need. However, we cannot legally waive a copay or a deductible but we can work with a family on a payment plan.   

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What are Concurrent Reviews? 

The concurrent review takes place while the patient is receiving care while admitted to a facility. The insurance company authorizes a set amount of days. At the end of this period, the therapist provides justification as to why the client needs to stay longer, and (hopefully) the insurance authorizes another chunk of time.This process continues throughout the entire stay. 

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What is a COB?  

Coordination of benefits (COB) applies to a person who is covered by more than one health plan. A COB identifies which insurance plan is “primary” and which insurance plan is “secondary”. There can only be ONE plan that is primary. Whichever subscriber’s birthday is first in the year will be the primary insurance. The COB must be updated in order for the

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What is the difference between my deductible and out-of-pocket maximum? 

In a health insurance plan, your deductible is the amount of money you need to spend before your insurance starts paying some of your health care expenses. The out-of-pocket maximum, on the other hand, is the most you’ll ever spend out of pocket in a given calendar year. Once you have completely met your out-of-pocket maximum, you are 100% covered for the

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What does Medical Necessity mean? 

Medical necessity refers to a decision by your health plan that the treatment or procedure is necessary to maintain or restore your child’s mental health or to treat a diagnosed medical problem. In order to be covered under the health plan, a service must be considered medically necessary. Evolve has to prove that it is medically necessary for the client to be

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What is a Single Case Agreement?  

A Single Case Agreement allows an out-of-network provider to be considered “in-network” for a single patient/client (e.g single case). This means the client/family would only be responsible for copays and in-network deductibles which makes treatment more affordable. They only do this when there are no other open spots at in-network treatment centers in the family’s area or if there is a clinical

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What Level of Care is Right for My Teen 

Our admissions team is skilled in helping families determine what level of care is appropriate for their teenager. If you’d like an in-person meeting to determine what level of care your teen needs, we offer free face-to-face assessments at all of our partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient locations. If you answer yes to any of the questions below, please contact our admissions team to discuss options or to schedule an appointment. 

Be sure and visit our Level of Care Checklist to find more specific information.