Intensive treatment for those who live out of town

Our intensive treatment program for long-distance clients is designed to make STAR Institute’s unique treatment program available to people who live out of town. All services provided to local clients during our regular three-day a week STAR intensive model are available for our clients visiting from out of town.

Out-of-town treatment begins with a telephone intake to determine if your child (or you, if you are an adult) are a good candidate for our treatment. If you and we agree that you (your child) fit our treatment criteria, your family will travel to Denver to participate in an evaluation or evaluation and treatment at STAR Institute. In the out-of-town intensive program, comprehensive testing takes place on your first day at the clinic. The testing will be accomplished in one day if only a single professional is involved, but over several days if you participate in a multi-disciplinary evaluation.

There are several treatment options depending on your wishes.

a) Evaluation only. You can come only for the evaluation and return later if treatment is indicated.

b) Extended Assessment and Treatment Consultation. This is a one-week process developed to take an in-depth look at a child, It can assist in diagnosing complex issues and conditions. In addition, it can be useful in providing recommendations for the type of services that would be useful in addressing the child’s needs. This process can be completed with either a comprehensive evaluation (one professional) or a multi-disciplinary evaluation (multiple professionals) - depending on the child needs and the family’s wishes.

Once the evaluation sessions are completed, the remainder of the week is used to conduct further in-depth evaluation derived during what looks like a treatment session. (We refer to it as a treatment consult rather than treatment sessions because it is not possible to provide real treatment in such a short time period.) In this period, the therapist can develop a working knowledge about the types of intervention options that appear to be most useful for you to follow up on at home. At the end of the week, the therapist will provide a document summarizing the Assessment findings and provide you with treatment recommendations at a parent education session. If required by your priorities, our physician or psychologist (for a multi-disciplianry evaluation) or therapist (for a one-professional evaluation) can provide a letter to the school or pediatrician, or recommendations to the treating therapist at home. We are also available to follow up with your team at home either by email or by Skype.

The Extended Assessment and Treatment Consultation option provides an opportunity for a professional assessment and a little treatment consultation. However, although the child does receive a few treatment sessions, this is not a replacement for longer-term intensive treatment. The treatment sessions are structured to elicit relevant diagnostic information and to help with home recommendations. Do not expect to see a huge change from just a few treatment sessions. However, you will be able to determine if your child would be likely to benefit from the type of intervention provided at STAR Institute when you return home, if there is a similar treatment center near you.

c) Evaluation and Intensive therapy. Many families travel a great distance to come to STAR Institute. For these families, an effort is made to be relatively certain that their child will benefit from services at STAR Institute before they travel. These families typically set up a treatment schedule before they arrive, and treatment typically begins the day after the evaluation when feedback and goal setting sessions occur. Treatment may last any amount of time that the family can stay in Colorado.

Just like local families, out-of-town clients participate in approximately 20 to 30 sessions of therapy. A “break” is recommended, but not required, about 60% to 70% of the way through the program. Depending on the age your child and wishes of your family, the exact details of your program will be determined following the intake. Children who complete the STAR program, are always welcome to return to STAR Institute for Booster Sessions at subsequent developmental stages. If children are facing big challenges such as starting Kindergarten or transferring to middle school, or a large family reunion ... whatever challenges them, you are always welcome to set up a Booster (any length depending on issues you wish to address) to enhance the changes achieved during the initial intensive program.

Wherever you live, STAR Institute will work closely with you to design a program that will fit the needs of you and your family.

We have made accommodations for our families to receive special pricing for lodging at a nearby condo and at several hotels. 

Click here for more information on lodging.