Sometimes, when a teen is dealing with mental health challenges, regular therapy just isn’t enough. Maybe your teen’s behavior seems to be getting worse. Perhaps their emotional outbursts are becoming more intense, or they’re finding it hard to stay safe when overwhelmed.
For families with Medi-Cal, therapeutic behavioral services (TBS) in California can provide some additional support alongside their existing mental health treatment. Finding the right support can be overwhelming when your teen and family are in the midst of serious mental health concerns. To help in this process, this page will explore:
Therapeutic behavioral services (TBS) are an intensive, one-on-one, short-term behavioral coaching program for young people experiencing significant emotional or behavioral challenges.[1] The program is offered through Medi-Cal services for those who need additional support reaching goals identified in their mental health treatment plan.
Rather than trying to address every aspect of a teen’s mental health at once, TBS youth mental health services generally focus on specific behaviors that are interfering with everyday functioning. For example, a TBS provider might help your teen if they self-harm when they feel overwhelmed and learn safe ways to manage those moments.
Not every young person who experiences behavioral or mental health challenges will qualify for therapeutic behavioral services in California. TBS eligibility in California is part of Medi-Cal’s specialty mental health system and is available to children and young adults who:
Your teen may also be eligible if they’re under 21, have Medi-Cal, and they’ve been hospitalized in the past two years for emergency mental health problems.[2]
California specialty mental health services, such as TBS, are provided through county Mental Health Plans for Medi-Cal beneficiaries who meet these criteria. County Mental Health Plans are responsible for providing or arranging these specialty services based on the young person’s needs and treatment goals.[3]
You don’t need to figure out TBS eligibility in California on your own. If you believe your child may need more intensive behavioral support, your treatment provider or county Mental Health Plan can help determine whether therapeutic behavioral services in California are appropriate.
Behavioral support for youth in California is individualized. So, rather than following the same treatment plan for every child, the TBS provider identifies what behaviors are creating the greatest difficulty and develops specific goals around these.
For instance, the focus may be on factors such as:
The intensive behavioral services your youth receives may start with looking at when certain behaviors happen. Then, once the team understands the behavior more clearly, the provider can work directly with your teen to develop different responses. This might involve:
Families and caregivers are also important in this process. TBS can help teens and their families learn different ways of responding to difficult behaviors and encourage actions that help them succeed.[4]
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
When a teen’s behavior becomes increasingly difficult to manage, many parents start to worry that residential treatment is the only viable next step. However, when comparing TBS vs. residential treatment, it’s important to understand that these services serve different purposes.
Therapeutic behavioral services in California are short-term, one-on-one interventions that supplement a teen’s existing treatment. Your teen will generally remain in their current environment while receiving more focused support around particular behaviors.
As opposed to TBS mental health services, residential treatment is a higher level of care where your teen would temporarily live in a treatment setting. There, they would have greater structure and access to clinical support throughout the day.
In some situations, therapeutic behavioral services in California may help your teen remain in their current home or placement rather than moving to a higher level of care. For young people who are already living in a group home or residential setting, TBS may support their progress toward returning home or moving into a less restrictive environment.[4]
However, it’s important to recognize that intensive behavioral services for youth don’t guarantee that your teen will never need residential treatment. The appropriate level of care depends on each teen’s symptoms, safety, functioning, and overall treatment needs.
If you think your child could benefit from additional behavioral support, you could start by contacting your county Mental Health Plan and ask for an assessment for specialty mental health services. Doctors, schools, family members, Medi-Cal managed plans, or other county agencies can also refer for California specialty mental health services.[4]
When asking about therapeutic behavioral services from Medi-Cal, you may want to ask:
Writing down your questions before speaking with your teen’s provider can make the process easier, especially when you are already trying to manage multiple appointments and concerns.
Take a tour of our teen residential mental health facilities located in California. Our locations offer peace & comfort within a residential environment where teenagers, aged 12-17, can relax and focus on themselves.
Our well-appointed facilities are located in Bonsall, Fallbrook, Rancho Palos Verdes
and Rolling Hills Estates.
Additionally, we offer both in-person and virtual outpatient services in California for full support after leaving residential.
Therapeutic behavioral services in California can provide your teen with targeted behavioral support. But behavior is likely only one part of what your teen is experiencing. Mental health concerns like anxiety, difficulty regulating emotions, family stress, and others may also be affecting how they respond to the world around them.
At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we take a personalized, whole-person approach to teen mental health care. Rather than focusing on one particular symptom or diagnosis, we consider your teen’s emotional, physical, and mental health needs.
Our personalized care may include a combination of evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), with supportive practices like mindfulness, art, and somatic therapy.
By finding what works best for each teen, we help them understand what they’re experiencing, develop healthier ways of coping that actually work, and feel more confident facing everyday challenges. We also recognize that families can play an important role in helping teens understand and practice what they learn during treatment, so we incorporate them into the treatment program.
Whether your teen could benefit from residential treatment at one of our locations or something more flexible, like an outpatient mental health program delivered virtually, our team can help. Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
Start the admissions process online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team who can answer any questions you might have. Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation.
"*" indicates required fields
🔒 100% Confidential
No Commitment
✓ Instant Results
We recognize that navigating therapeutic behavioral services from Medi-Cal can feel confusing and overwhelming, especially when many of their youth mental health resources have similar names. To help, below, we answer some common questions parents may have about TBS in California.
No, TBS mental health services are short-term behavioral support focused on specific behaviors. The program is often used as an additional support alongside regular therapy. So your teen may receive both therapeutic behavioral services in California and therapy as part of the same treatment plan.
Yes, Medi-Cal covers TBS for teens as it’s a part of their available specialty mental health services for qualifying young people under age 21.[2]
Whether your teen receives Medi-Cal TBS depends on their needs and whether they meet criteria requirements. You can contact your county Mental Health Plan or current mental health provider to ask about an assessment.
TBS is short-term, but how long it lasts will depend on the behaviors being addressed, the goals identified in the treatment plan, and your teen’s progress. Often, TBS in California can last several months. You, your teen, and the treatment team will monitor progress and whether to continue services as needed.
It’s not a guarantee that therapeutic behavioral services in California will keep your teen from going into residential treatment. However, the goal of TBS is to provide additional support, which will hopefully allow them to remain in their current living situation.
Decisions about level of care should be based on your teen’s individual mental health, safety, and treatment needs.
At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we help teens dealing with mental, behavioral, or emotional concerns. Since our approach is personalized to each teen, we help you understand what issues your teen is experiencing. Then, using a combination of therapies, we’ll support your teen in addressing their needs and concerns, highlighting their strengths, and meeting their goals.
We also provide comprehensive levels of care from residential and intensive outpatient to outpatient and aftercare support. This allows your teen to get the care they need without having to find a completely separate program. Our goal is to help young people better understand their experiences and build the necessary coping tools to help them feel stable and successful.
Are You Covered for Mental Health Treatment?
We’re in-network with many providers. Call us at 866-901-4047 to verify your benefits and find out how much your plan will cover
Find out if Mission Prep is right for you by reaching out to us and speaking with one of our admissions representatives.
