Residential treatment programs can last multiple weeks, sometimes over a month. When preparing for residential treatment for teens, pack comfortable clothing, personal hygiene items, prescribed medications, and any required documentation. Include comfort items like a favorite book. Consider the facility’s guidelines and avoid restricted items. It’s important to contact the treatment center for a comprehensive packing list.
Packing for residential treatment can be a serious challenge, especially with so many restrictions and guidelines. It’s easy and normal to worry about forgetting essentials or bringing prohibited items. Your best bet is to start with a list—go over your items over multiple days, adding to and subtracting from the list as you prepare for treatment. This article explores what to bring to residential treatment.
What is Residential Treatment?
Residential treatment programs involve getting treated at a live-in facility, often with a more homely aesthetic than your typical outpatient clinic or psychiatric hospital. Residential treatment programs usually run for at least a few weeks, offering a structured environment where teens receive 24/7 care and supervision, including individual and group talk therapy, medication management, and holistic or alternative treatments.
Residential treatment facilities help teens address severe mental health issues, including suicidal ideation and substance use. Constant supervision and a daily schedule centered around individual and group therapy can help teens improve their symptoms and develop healthier coping skills for their long-term mental and physical well-being.
What to Bring to Residential Treatment
If it’s your teen’s first time in a residential treatment facility, then they’re likely nervous. However, bringing the right items can ease the transition. Including the essentials, like comfortable clothing, personal hygiene products, and any prescribed medications, is important.
But there are a lot of other things parents and teens should make sure to think of. Here’s what to bring to residential treatment.
Essential Personal Items
When preparing for residential treatment, it’s important to pack essential personal items to ensure comfort and meet daily needs. Here is a list of essential personal items to pack:
Clothes
- Comfortable everyday wear
- Sleepwear
- Undergarments and socks
- Sweaters or jackets for colder weather
- Athletic wear for physical activities
Footwear
- Comfortable shoes
- Slippers
- Athletic shoes
- Hiking boots
Toiletries
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Mouthwash (alcohol-free)
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Body wash or soap
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush or comb
- Feminine hygiene products (if applicable)
- Skincare products
Medications
- Prescription medications with proper labeling
- Over-the-counter medications (as allowed by the facility)
Other Personal Care Items
- Towels and washcloths
- Nail clippers
- Personalized water bottle
- A small amount of money (if allowed)
- Contact lenses or glasses
Documentation and Important Papers
In addition to what your teen might need for their stay in terms of toiletries, clothes, or personal items, there are a few things they should always have on their person during their stay for legal and insurance reasons:
- Identification card
- Insurance card
- Insurance information
- List of emergency contacts
- Prescriptions
Comfort Items
Comfort items encompass many different things, but it’s important to note that most recovery centers and residential treatment clinics prohibit recreational items, toys, sporting equipment, playing cards, or even Internet-capable devices such as smartphones.
Video game consoles, such as handhelds – from an old Gameboy to newer devices – are generally also prohibited. Some facilities don’t let teens bring music players or cameras either. Aside from these items, teens might want to consider any of the following as a reminder of home:
- Pillow, blanket, or stuffed toy
- Photos of family and friends
- Journal or notebook
- Books or magazines
Preparation Tips
Packing the essentials and making room for a few comfort items is just one step in the long preparation process for your teen’s residential treatment. Here are a few more things you should keep in mind:
Go over the program together. What does residential treatment at your chosen facility entail? Go over the program with your teen and note any questions they might have.
Discuss your goals for this treatment process. Setting a vague goal, such as simply getting better, can be difficult to quantify throughout treatment. Consider talking to your teen about emotional or behavioral milestones that they want to hit, such as staying sober for a certain amount of time, picking up a new or old hobby, or making a new friend. Celebrate each milestone as it comes around during and after treatment.
Prepare emotionally. Residential treatment can last several weeks, which means spending several weeks away from home. It can also be daunting for teens to head into residential treatment without really knowing what’s coming. Ensure your teen gets to ask as many questions as possible about the treatment process to put their mind at ease.
Think positively about the process and turn your anxieties into hope. Treatment outcomes—not just for mental health conditions but also for physical health problems—are often affected by a person’s mindset going into treatment. While it’s easier said than done, consider focusing on the positive aspects of going into a residential treatment program and finding things to be excited about, whether it’s cool amenities or an interesting new therapy approach.
Teen Residential Treatment
Has your teen been having a difficult time recently? It can be difficult to watch a loved one struggle, especially when there is no straightforward solution to their problem.
Visions Treatment Centers in California offers a nurturing and structured environment where teens receive personalized care from experienced professionals.
Our residential treatment options help teens recognize and address harmful thinking or behavior through therapy, medication, and evidence-based treatment modalities while providing a roadmap for post-treatment support and long-term recovery. Contact Visions Treatment Centers today to learn how we can help your teen achieve lasting well-being.
Conclusion
It’s important to be prepared for your stay at a residential facility. Residential treatment programs can last upwards of a month, and being comfortable in your new space is a crucial part of the treatment and recovery process. Unsure of what to bring to residential treatment? Contact us at Visions today to learn more about our list of recommended and prohibited items.
