East Mountain Youth Lodge
The East Mountain Youth Lodge at Carrier Clinic is a residential treatment program
providing comprehensive 24-hour clinical, therapeutic and educational treatment
for 13 to 18 year-old adolescents with psychiatric and/or emotional difficulties.
One of the unique strengths of the Lodge is its location on the Carrier campus where
its treatment services are complemented by the Carrier system's continuum of care.
For example, if an adolescent residing in the Lodge demonstrated a need for acute
care, that individual could be treated on the specialized unit at Carrier's hospital
facility.
A Healing Environment
As part of East Mountain Youth Lodge’s mission to create, promote and maintain a
healing environment, teens are invited to put aside their past survival skills (substance
abuse, running away, defying rules & authority figures and attempting suicide) and
learn new ways of coping and self-expression. These newly-acquired skills are reinforced
through individual and group therapy, family education, therapeutic recreation and
day-to-day interactions with highly-trained staff. Specialized programs such as
equine therapy encourage teens to get in touch with their emotions and feelings,
so they may better understand themselves and begin to heal. From day one, families
are involved in treatment to provide residents with the opportunity to meet their
four basic needs: Mastery, Belonging, Independence, and Generosity.
Residents
Our residents include males and females ages 13-18 with psychiatric, emotional and
behavioral difficulties. Most have a history of failed placements elsewhere and
have experienced many traumas such as sexual abuse, abandonment and loss. Many residents
have previously been diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
Depression, Anxiety, Impulse Control Disorder, Substance Abuse and various psychotic
and personality disorders. Their behavioral histories may include property destruction,
violence, anti-social behavior, stealing, defiance of authority, poor school attendance,
illegal activity, running away and drug use/dealing.
Intensive Residential Treatment Services
Carrier’s adolescent services also include a 10-bed coed Intensive Residential Treatment
program for adolescents who are severely psychiatrically disturbed and require specialized
care while working toward stabilization and transition to a less restrictive setting.
Mission Statement
The East Mountain Youth Lodge creates and maintains a safe, caring, therapeutic
and reclaiming environment. The aim of this environment is to nurture emotional
healing, provide social skill acquisition as well as opportunities for belonging,
mastery, independence and generosity. Our goal is to prepare our residents for a
future in a less restrictive setting.
Staff
The East Mountain Youth Lodge provides one direct care staff for every four to five
adolescents. Our clinical team includes a Board-certified psychiatrist, licensed
clinical social worker, registered nurse, substance abuse counselor and residential
counselor.
Treatment Services
- Individual, family and group therapy with licensed clinical social workers
- Psychiatric consultation and medication monitoring
- 24-hour therapeutic milieu including Specialized addiction treatment
- NA/AA meetings in the community
- Daily social skills training groups
- Education at Carrier’s East Mountain Day School
- Vocational training
- Individualized case management and discharge planning
- Physical fitness program includes camping, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, swimming,
trips to the beach, lakes, amusement parks and sporting events
- Year-round recreational activities are geared to expose residents to appropriate
social interactions and cultural programs such as music, arts and crafts
- Adventure based counseling
- Full Value Contract approach, peer intervention and group accountablity
- Crisis intervention
Continuum of Care
As part of Carrier’s full continuum of care, residents have access to a wide array
of additional services:
- Inpatient care
- Lab services
- Physical therapy
Contact
All information regarding a prospective resident should be sent to:
East Mountain Youth Lodge
Attention: Anthony Cartusciello
Carrier Clinic
P.O. Box 147
Belle Mead, NJ 08502
To refer an adolescent to East Mountain Youth Lodge, you must provide us with background
information to help us determine whether the teen is appropriate for our program.
This information should include:
- Current psychiatric and psychological evaluation
- Pertinent medical information
- Current Individualized Education Plan (IEP), relevant educational information and
reports
- Social history
- Recent treatment history, describing progress and problems in previous settings
and programs
To discuss a referral before sending information, please call (908) 281-1414 or (800) 933-3579
and ask for East Mountain Youth Lodge.