Helping Your Teen Stay in Treatment After Graduation

How to Help Your Teen Stay in Treatment

If you’re wondering how to help your teen transition to adult treatment after graduation, the following steps could help. 

Start Planning Before Graduation

The best time to make a transition plan is before the graduation cap goes on. This means starting to plan with your teen several months before high school ends. This might include asking questions such as:

• “Who will provide therapy?”
• “Who will manage medication?”
• “Can current providers continue working with your teen after the age of 18?”
• “Will your teen remain in the same state?”
• “Does current insurance cover this change or out-of-state treatment?”
• “Does their college offer mental health support services?”
• “Who will schedule appointments?”
• “How will medications be refilled?”
• “What happens if symptoms worsen?”

Help Your Teen Understand Their Own Treatment

The transition into adulthood can be made easier when responsibility shifts gradually instead of disappearing from the parent’s hands overnight. This may begin by helping a teen understand their own treatment. 

A young adult typically cannot manage treatment well if they do not understand what the treatment is for. Some teens have been in mental health treatment for years while parents managed much of the surrounding information. 

A teen may benefit from learning about: 

• Their diagnoses.
• Medication names and doses.
• Names of their providers and how to contact them.
• Helpful therapeutic approaches. 

This could be supported by the parent looking for opportunities to include the teen in treatment discussions that they were previously not a part of. 

Keep Therapy Accessible After Graduation

A change in schedule is one of the most common reasons that treatment can disappear after high school graduation. For instance, a teen who attended therapy every Tuesday at 5:00 pm throughout high school may suddenly have a work or school obligation at that time. 

This is why it can be helpful to plan ahead. For example, you could begin by finding out if the current providers can provide care beyond graduation. If so, it may be helpful to learn if: 

• Appointment times can change.
• If telehealth is an option.
• Whether the current provider can see your child if they are out of state. 

It’s important not to assume that campus counseling can automatically replace ongoing outpatient treatment. College counseling centers vary widely in what they provide, so it is important to know what supports are available ahead of time. 

If a change in mental health providers is necessary, it may be helpful to schedule the first appointment with the new provider before care with the existing provider ends. 

Support Medication Continuity

Medication routines can become surprisingly challenging after graduation. 

Missing a dose of medication once is different from repeatedly running out or consistently forgetting. Parents can help this transition by gradually transitioning medication responsibilities before graduation. 

For example, a teen might start by setting their own medication reminders, then monitoring how many refills remain. And eventually, contacting the pharmacy or prescriber independently. 

If your young adult wants to stop medication, it is important to encourage them to discuss this with their prescriber to come up with a safe plan to do so. 

Make Treatment Fit Adult Life

Staying in treatment after graduation usually becomes more realistic when it takes the young adult’s life into consideration. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) identifies a number of strategies to support this process, including early planning, coordination across systems, and personalized support.^[3]

This may look like implementing helpful adjustments such as:

• Telehealth appointments.
• Evening sessions.
• Providers that are closer to school or work.
• Automatic medication refills.
• Calendar reminders.
• Transportation planning.
• Coordinating care around work and/or class schedules.

Prepare for College Mental Health Stress

College can introduce both a new level of freedom and a new level of pressure. Students may be managing: 

• Academic deadlines.
• Roommates.
• Class schedules.
• Social relationships.
• Finances. 

Oftentimes, preparing for this transition can reduce some of the stress. This may look like identifying the campus counseling center or local mental health resources. 

However, if mental health symptoms make college difficult despite support, it may be helpful to reconsider: 

• Resources.
• Pacing.
• Setting.
• Treatment options.

Create a Relapse Prevention Plan

A relapse prevention plan can help young adults notice changes in their own thoughts and behaviors before symptoms become severe. It can be beneficial to work together with your young adult to identify early warning signs.

Warning signs for depression may include:

• Losing motivation.
• Skipping class or work.
• Withdrawing socially.
• Ignoring messages.
• Missing therapy.
• Losing interest in hobbies.
• Neglecting hygiene.
• Feeling worthless or hopeless.

Warning signs for anxiety may include:

• Avoiding classes or classwork.
• Panic attacks.
• Difficulty sleeping.
• Constantly checking assignments.
• Avoiding social situations.

If your teen is experiencing a different mental health condition, their provider may be able to discuss their symptoms and any potential signs of crisis with you to raise awareness. 

Know When to Step In

Greater independence does not mean that you have to be completely uninvolved, especially when you have concerns about your young adult’s mental health. 

Pay attention to notable changes, including:

• Repeatedly missing treatment.
• Stopping medication without medical guidance.
• Missing school or work.
• Severe insomnia.
• Increasing isolation.
• Changes in appetite.
• Frequent panic attacks.
• Increasing hopelessness.
• Self-harm.
• Suicidal thoughts.
• Signs of psychosis or mania.
• Substance abuse.
• Being unable to manage basic needs.

When issues like this arise, it’s important to have a calm conversation with them about your concerns. Make sure to actively listen to them after voicing your worries and suggest ways to collaboratively come to a solution. 

What If Your Teen Refuses Mental Health Treatment?

Once your teen turns 18, they are typically allowed to decide whether they want mental health treatment. This can be extremely difficult if you believe that care is still necessary, and they decide they want to stop treatment. 

When there is no immediate safety concern, maintaining communication with your teen may be more productive than trying to force a teen who refuses mental health treatment after turning 18 back into treatment.

However, if there is an immediate risk of suicide or inability to remain safe, emergency intervention may be necessary regardless of whether your young adult wants to continue routine outpatient care. 

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if there is an immediate risk of harm. You can also call or text 988 for crisis support.