Los Angeles County is home to nearly 10 million people. Of these, nearly a quarter are adolescents, according to census data. And the rate of teen mental health issues—including anxiety and depression—are increasing in California. Risky behaviors, substance use, and suicidal behaviors are also common.
If your child is struggling, therapy or behavioral health treatment can improve their mental health and prevent crises. When researching teen and young adult treatment in Los Angeles, consider factors like severity of symptoms, appropriate level of care, and the specialty of the therapist or program.
Key Takeaways
- Mental health statistics in Los Angeles, CA, show an annual increase in depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among teens every year.
- Behavioral red flags such as excessive worry, depression, and significant change in behaviors can signal to parents that a teen needs mental health support.
- The best level of care for your teen depends on the severity of symptoms and behaviors and can include outpatient, inpatient, or residential care.
- Newport Academy’s outpatient and residential programs in southern California and offer teens industry-leading, multidisciplinary care.
Los Angeles Teen Mental Health
According to a survey conducted by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, nearly 30 percent of teens in LA county reported needing mental health help in 2022. However, nearly two-thirds of adolescents didn’t receive the treatment they needed. Additionally, nearly 30 percent of teens and young adults met criteria for a substance use disorder. Of these, 19 percent struggled primarily with alcohol, while 16 percent experienced addiction issues related to other illicit drugs.
When left untreated, mental health and substance use disorders can result in decreased functioning, disability, unemployment, poor quality of life, homelessness, incarceration, and even death. In fact, 70 percent of young people in the juvenile justice system have at least one underlying mental health condition.
Making sure kids have the mental health resources and support they need can prevent these devastating outcomes. Read on to learn more about mental health services for adolescents in the LA area.
How to Know If Mental Health Treatment Is Right for Your Teen
If your child exhibits behavioral red flags in the following categories, chances are they need professional mental health support.
Unexplained Behavioral Changes
If your teen’s behavior has changed drastically in recent weeks or months, something beyond typical teenage behavioral fluctuations may be occurring. Look for these signs:
- Abnormal levels of irritability, sadness, anger, or isolation around friends and family
- Increase in compulsive behaviors
- Sudden decrease in self-care or hygiene habits, including showering and brushing teeth
- Problems with academic performance
- Refusal to go to school
- Excessive anger, aggression, or verbal abuse toward peers, parents, or others
- Difficulty sleeping
- Health problems, including physical aches and pains, rashes, or gastrointestinal issues
- Co-occurring disorder, such as eating disorders
- Suspected substance use or abuse
Excessive Worry
Signs of excessive worry include:
- Anxiety
- Social anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Intrusive or obsessive thoughts
- Irritability
- Avoiding situations or people due to distress.
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Marked Sadness or Depression
Look for these signs of depression in your teenager:
- Difficulty with life transitions
- Decreased engagement in activities they used to enjoy
- Weight loss or gain
- Self-harm behaviors or signs of self-harm (such as burns, cuts, or strange marks on their body)
- Sleeping more, complaining of fatigue, or becoming noticeably more lethargic
- Bullying or problems with peers at school
Get Teen Mental Health Support Right Away
Seeking mental health support for your teen is essential when the above symptoms last more than a few weeks, if they worsen over time, or if additional symptoms appear.
If your teen is expressing suicidal thoughts, take them to the nearest ER or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 immediately. If you need help outside an emergency, you or your teen can call the Los Angeles County hotline at 211. This hotline provides anyone with information and services to best meet their needs.
Understanding Los Angeles Mental Health Services: The Difference Between a Therapist and a Psychologist
Knowing what to look for in a therapist is essential when researching the best treatment approach for your child. The term “therapist” can include any number of mental health specialists, such as a mental health counselor, a social worker, and a psychologist.
What’s the difference between a psychologist and a therapist? A psychologist has earned a doctoral degree in psychology, philosophy, or education. Psychologists may work at universities, in research settings, or in other clinical capacities, or in private practice. On the other hand, a mental health counselor may hold an associate’s degree or higher in counseling. Another mental health role is social worker, which usually requires a master’s degree.
Providers’ specialties within these respective fields may vary, but all may be equally effective to treat teen behavioral health concerns. A clinician’s ability to provide mental health treatment for a teenager depends on their experience and background as much as their education. If you aren’t sure what someone’s specialty or background is, you can always ask. Clarifying whether their skills and experience align with your needs is an important part of ensuring your child receives the best care.
Which Mental Healthcare Provider in California Is Right for My Teen?
Ideally, any therapist working with teens and their families will have an advanced degree in counseling or social work, such as a master’s degree. They should also specialize in adolescent treatment and family therapy, and their experience should reflect your teen’s mental health needs.
Depending on the severity of your child’s symptoms, they may require outpatient or residential care rather than weekly therapy. A more in-depth mental health program provides comprehensive support and structure, with multiple healing modalities to support effective care and sustainable recovery.
Newport Academy’s Teen Treatment Programs Near Los Angeles
At Newport Academy, we provide teen treatment for behavioral mental health issues, with industry-leading success rates. Our treatment programs offer a safe, nurturing environment that support adolescents in learning healthy coping strategies, stress management techniques, life skills, and positive behavioral changes to boost mental and physical health.
Newport Academy’s teen treatment, addresses a wide variety of adolescent mental health issues, including the following:
- Teen anxiety
- ADHD
- Teen depression
- PTSD and trauma
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Substance use disorders
- Eating disorders
- Suicidal ideation
To provide integrated care, a multidisciplinary team of licensed therapists, psychiatrists, nurses, and doctors tailors each patient’s treatment to their needs. We utilize a wide variety of treatment modalities to promote effective and sustainable healing. Each teen’s treatment includes:
Psychiatric Care
Our psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses provide ongoing evaluation, care, and medication management. Medication, in combination with psychoeducation and therapy, can be an effective approach to support teens with ongoing symptoms of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and other mental health conditions.
Individual Therapy
Individual talk therapy helps teens process past trauma, gain self-awareness, and cultivate healthy coping strategies. We use modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Attachment-Based Family Therapy, EMDR, and Motivational Interviewing.
Family Therapy
Our trained family therapists help teens and their families cultivate trust, healthy communication, and safe bonds to foster a lifetime of support. We use Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT), an evidence-based approach for treating depression and anxiety in adolescents. ABFT repairs damage within the family system and heals parent-child relationships.
Experiential Therapy
Humans heal in community. Experiential therapy helps teens address trauma and mental health challenges through creative expression, movement, and connection to others. Our Los Angeles programs offer experiential modalities such as Equine-Assisted therapy, Adventure Therapy, horticulture therapy, music therapy, fitness therapy, and art therapy (depending on location).
Our Residential Teen Programs for Behavioral Health
The Newport Academy Southern California residential treatment centers are located in scenic and peaceful areas throughout Southern California. Near Los Angeles, our teen treatment centers are close to beaches, scenic coastline, forests, parks, and open spaces. Our program facilities have beautiful indoor living areas, tranquil outdoor spaces, and comfortable common rooms and therapy rooms.
Residential treatment is appropriate for teens who are struggling with severe mental health symptoms and need a fully immersive therapeutic experience to heal. This level of care provides 24/7 staffing and support, as well as a full schedule of therapy, group sessions, and academics.
Our Outpatient Teen Treatment Programs in Los Angeles County
Our outpatient programs serve teens who need more than weekly therapy to address their mental health concerns but don’t need the 24/7 support of residential programming. Outpatient care is also appropriate for teens who are leaving residential care and need ongoing support to reintegrate into their home life and community. Outpatient treatment involves some time at home and may or may not include academic programming.
Newport Academy’s outpatient treatment centers for behavioral health in Los Angeles County offer three types of outpatient mental health services:
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): Our PHP program provides full-day clinical and complete academic programming five days a week. Parents attend family therapy and support groups.
- Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP): Our IOP program offers afternoon or evening clinical programming for three to five days per week, depending on your family’s needs. This level of care provides ongoing community support and care, as well as regular check-ins, for teens who continue to attend their own school.
- Outpatient services: Our teen outpatient services provide ongoing support and sessions as needed, typically one to three days per week.
Our Mental Health Clinic Addresses in LA and Throughout Southern CA
Get Started Today
Contact Newport Academy to access a mental health assessment, at no charge, by phone or in person at one of our Irvine teen treatment centers. Our experts can assess your teen’s mental health symptoms and recommend the best behavioral health services for your child and family members. That might be a residential teen treatment center in Los Angeles County or an outpatient treatment center in the LA area.
If Newport’s mental healthcare services aren’t appropriate for your teen or family for any reason, we’ll help you find an option that will work. Our goal is to support young people and families from LA and around the country to access the highest-quality treatment to support a fulfilling life.
Here’s how to start the healing journey.
