Admissions Information

We know placing a child in a residential setting is a difficult experience for families.  Our approach to residential care is family-centered.  We include families in the care process from admission to discharge.

If your child can benefit from intensive residential care, we want to help your family navigate the stress it will cause.  You may call our Director of Admissions, Director of Nursing, Chief Financial Officer, your child's Residential Therapist and your Family Therapist when you have questions, concerns or wish to receive information about your child.

If you have questions about admissions please contact Mr. Phillip McMillan, Director of Admissions, at (318) 255-5020.

Our work is a ministry in which we:

  • Exist to serve children and their families
  • Believe each child must have a sense of belonging
  • Believe the best place for a child to live is with a family
  • Teach by modeling the examples of Christ
  • Provide holistic care to accomplish our goals

Program Description

We provide assessment-based residential treatment services for children and adolescents at Louisiana Methodist Children Home in Ruston, Louisiana; at Methodist Children's Home of Southwest Louisiana in Sulphur; and at The Methodist Home for Children of Greater New Orleans in Mandeville.  We seek to restore wholeness and facilitate reconciliation in the lives of the families and children we serve.

Our Philosophy of Care

We are driven by our mission, vision and values, and our knowledge of the children and families we serve.

Dignity, Respect and Privacy

We treat all residents, clients and families with dignity, respect, and privacy in every element of care and treatment.

Individualized Assessment, Planning and Treatment

We provide individualized assessment, treatment planning and services designed to meet the unique assessed needs of those for whom we care.

Holistic Care

We provide all residents, clients and families with holistic care which addresses their physical, emotional, behavioral and spiritual needs.

Nurturing Care Environments

We seek to create nurturing, caring, supportive, safe, secure, and stable treatment environments to enhance opportunities for change and growth.

What are the Treatment Goals?

As a component of our long range, strategic and annual operating goals, and in keeping with our mission, values, beliefs and philosophy, we have established the following broad treatment goals:

1.  To provide quality, assessment-based residential treatment services for the youth placed in our care.

2.  To provide an interdisciplinary therapeutic approach that includes all systems involved with the child and family.

3.  To provide a caring, comfortable, safe, secure, nurturing, and age-appropriate environment for the youth in care.

4.  To provide varied resources and opportunities to address the unique needs of the youth in care.

5.  To provide quality educational and experiential opportunities for the youth in care to facilitate the acquisition of developmentally appropriate skills and information.

6.  To prepare the youth we serve to function productively in a less restrictive environment, with their families or in some other appropriate setting.

7.  To implement evidence-informed treatment modalities in residential, home and community-based services.

Who is Eligible for Intensive Residential Care?

We provide intensive residential service to children ages 12 to 17 with severe behavioral, emotional, and/or family disturbances.  We admit youth for assessment and intensive services.  Children who are actively suicidal, homicidal, psychotic, mentally handicapped (IQ below 65), serious criminal offenders, severely physically handicapped, or actively abusing substances will not be considered for admission.  Specific admission criteria are as follows:

1.  Adjustment problems related to the family, communication difficulties, lack of respect for rights of others, running away, persistent lying, stealing within the home, argumentative, non-compliant behaviors, physically aggressive, lack of emotional bonding, or violations of family rules.

2.  Problems related to personal and emotional functioning, poor self-esteem, impulsivity, inadequate judgment-making skills, low frustration tolerance, depression and temper outbursts.

3.  Problems functioning within the community and social relationships, stealing, vandalism, difficulty in maintaining peer relationships, sexual promiscuity, acting out or aggression.

4.  Educational difficulties related to disruptive or delinquent behaviors, poor academic performance, or exhibiting mild to moderate learning disabilities.

Exclusionary Criteria for Intensive Residential Care

Exclusionary criteria include but may not be limited to:

  • Severe psychiatric disorders which require hospitalization.
  • Physical handicaps which limit the child's ability to participate fully in a residential program.
  • Medical conditions which limit the child's full participation in the program. These include, but are not limited to, severe diabetes, epilepsy, hemophilia, encopresis or enuresis which prohibits functioning in the educational or recreational programs.
  • Significant impairments resulting from organic brain disorders or traumatic brain injury, which prohibit full participation in a residential program.
  • Pregnancy
  • Chronic violent behavior, which is incompatible with a group living environment.

Residents are admitted without regard to sex, race, creed, national origin, religious preference.