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    The Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) in Hancock is a twelve-bed acute care treatment program that provides crisis stabilization and hospital diversion services including medication stabilization, diagnostic and assessment services. With one to one staffing readily available, the ITU ensures a highly structured, supervised treatment program. Daily clinical and nursing services, weekly meetings with the psychiatrist, group therapy, Adventure Based Counseling and a strong academic program all support a focused, treatment team approach.
     In addition to serving children and adolescents from the community, the ITU also serves as a psychiatric hospital diversion program for students already in placement in a Hillcrest program if they exhibit severely regressive behaviors. For many students, this option prevents re-hospitalization and yet another failed placement. One of the goals of the ITU is to stabilize the student so he/she can return to, and function safely in, their Hillcrest program. Since the ITU coordinates a student's treatment with the referring campus, the student continues to work on his/her established treatment goals while preparing for the transition back to Hillcrest campus life.
     When used as a diagnostic/intake unit for children being newly admitted to the Hillcrest system, this 30-90 day program provides complete evaluation and comprehensive treatment. Following a child's initial evaluations, a Comprehensive Treatment Plan is developed to address his/her clinical, educational, and residential needs. During a child's placement at the ITU, the referring agency and family are kept informed of progress. After the diagnostic evaluations are completed, children will normally transition either back home for community-based treatment, to one of Hillcrest's residential treatment centers, or to another residential treatment agency. Regardless of the setting that follows the ITU placement, the child's continuing treatment will be informed and enhanced by the ITU's comprehensive diagnostic evaluation.
     For all students, being able to regulate their chaotic emotions and manage their impulses more effectively is the first step toward achieving increased responsibility, self-control and preparation for discharge from the ITU to a less restrictive setting. Everyone with an investment in the child, including ITU staff, family members and referring agency staff, works together to establish expectations and to help ensure a successful transition to the child's next treatment setting, wherever that may be.