Environment of Care

DTA believes that successful treatment can occur only in a treatment environment that includes systematic scheduling, clear differentiation of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, regular routines, appealing food choices and sound nutrition, high standards of cleanliness and mutual respect among all individuals within the treatment setting.

The Lewisburg Center, located on eighteen acres of scenic landscape in the rural countryside of Central Pennsylvania, serves twenty youths who are just entering the program and beginning the initial stages of treatment.

The second site, the Montour Learning Center, located on ten acres in Danville, PA, is designed to meet the needs of eighteen of the program’s clients who have progressed significantly in their treatment and are preparing for graduation from the program and reintegration into their communities.

Both of the quiet, safe and disciplined home-like settings enable youth and families to focus on their treatment, learn from staff and each other in individual and group settings, and maximize their rehabilitative experience.

The program makes available indoor and outdoor recreational therapy to youth on-site and in the community depending upon phase status in the program. DTA believes that healthy, prosocial leisure activities are an important part of the therapeutic process and meet specific basic human needs. The spacious outdoor areas enable on-site outdoor recreational activities such as basketball, volleyball, baseball, kickball, soccer, flag football, tennis, canoeing/kayaking, biking, jogging and hiking. During the winter months, a membership to the local recreational center is obtained to meet the adolescents indoor recreational needs.

When a youth obtains the appropriate phase status, he is allowed to go into the community with staff supervision and participate in local social and recreational activities such as skating rinks, bowling, movies, etc.

The program has a non-denominational chapel service on-site each week to meet the clients’ spiritual needs. All clients will be offered the right to practice religious/spiritual worship according to their religious creed or preference. Visitation to the facility by clergy will be facilitated by the staff based on client/family needs. The program encourages spiritual choice and worship as an integral aspect of human growth and development.

Treatment Modalities

DTA utilizes an eclectic clinical approach that integrates recognized behavioral and cognitive therapies. Treatment modalities include weekly individual psychotherapy provided by a mental health professional, multiple weekly sexuality therapy group sessions facilitated by a nationally certified treatment specialist, and weekly family therapy sessions. Curriculum-based groups are also provided in a rotation, based on client needs identified through assessment instruments such as the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS™) and the Abel Assessment of Sexual Interest-2 (AASI-2™).

Based on the trauma related need of many of our clients, trauma focused cognitive behavior therapy is a hallmark of the treatment experience.

Behavior Management

The program employs a comprehensive intervention strategy to manage behaviors which are rooted in proactive responses, rather than a reactionary method of behavior management. This process and philosophy occurs through the following activities:

• The implementation of a therapeutic community model of treatment advocating a youth-to-youth feedback process which is supervised by professional staff.
• A high level of individual involvement between the youth and staff in the areas of cognitive therapy, recreational therapy, and individual and group psychotherapy.
• The use of natural and logical consequences for irresponsible behavior.
• The facilitation of techniques via the lecture series of curriculum programs to solve conflict effectively.
• The progression of behavioral freedoms and rewards as incorporated into the phase system.
• The implementation of structural therapy sessions to deal with therapeutic issues that have fostered resentment, anger and hurt.
• Weekly therapeutic task sheets that focus on specific assignments according to the clients’ treatment plan.