Phoenix House Academy San Diego –
Treatment and Educational Services
23981 Sherilton Valley Road
Descanso, CA 91916
(619) 445-0405
Program Director:
Elizabeth Urquhart, M.Ed.
(619) 445-0405 x. 4654
eurquhart@phoenixhouse.org
Admissions:
Annette Vaughan
(619) 445-0405 x. 4671
avaughan@phoenixhouse.org
Treatment Activities
Phoenix House Academy San Diego integrates residential care and supervision, education, treatment and rehabilitation into a community environment for adolescents who have been separated from their home and school. Adolescents typically live at Phoenix House for a minimum of 3-6 months and may stay up to 12 months or longer depending on their needs. Phoenix House provides a supportive environment; round-the-clock supervision; specialized treatment services; and a daily schedule of planned resident activities. The resident community is further divided into a family structure with residents assigned to a family unit or caseload of 6-10 residents with designated “leaders” performing as parental figures, as well as case managers and counselors.
In addition to the residential community, recreational and social activities of daily living, Phoenix House provides a multi-disciplinary team approach providing care and supervision in a structured Therapeutic Community environment for the treatment of substance abuse and co-occurring mental health and behavioral problems. The multi-disciplinary team includes: physicians, nurses, social workers, family therapists, substance abuse counselors, and child care workers. Medical care is available onsite through medical and nursing staff. Offsite services are coordinated with consultant physicians and dentists.
During a typical day at Phoenix House, students begin their day with a morning community meeting. The meeting is meant to reinforce the family connection, motivate residents, inform them of facility activities, and start the long, busy day off with a positive tone. The day is filled with classes, study, recreation, chores, group therapy and counseling sessions. Families are not only encouraged to visit; but also, are integrated into the treatment program and reentry planning as appropriate. Religious counseling and service is made available to each adolescent. In this highly structured environment, each moment of a resident’s day is scheduled in advance — a dramatic contrast with what many of the residents, coming from chaotic and unsupervised home situations, have experienced.
Educational Services
Phoenix House Academy San Diego operates a fully accredited high school serving grades 8 to 12 under the auspices of the San Diego County Department of Education’s Juvenile Court & Community Schools.
Phoenix House staff and teachers work in partnership to provide a structured curriculum and extracurricular activities for growth and learning. Certified teachers and tutors provide a complete curriculum of core subjects combined with electives. Each resident gains credits toward completing his/her high school diploma.
Special education classes for seriously and emotionally disturbed youth, along with remedial and regular academic courses, including mathematics, science, reading, English and social studies, and minority studies are provided by accredited and specially trained teachers. Students are placed at their approximate skill level and receive course credits transferable to any public or private school.
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Program Overview
Goals and Objectives
Admission Criteria and Payment Options