Live-In Treatment Program (LIT)

The Live-In-Treatment Program is a voluntary service offered through Children’s Centre Thunder Bay for children/youth between the ages of 11-16 who experience significant mental health issues. Families and children/youth must be able and willing to actively engage in the treatment offered through the program. The 60-day intensive treatment program provides children/youth with a safe and responsive home-like environment within a residential neighbourhood. 

The program is designed to provide intensive treatment to the child/youth and their family to: 

• Reduce the severity of mental health problems  
• Strengthen coping and resilience 
• Enhance youth and family awareness and understanding of current difficulties 
• Strengthen family functioning and quality of parent-child relationships 
• Improve functioning at home, school, and community 
• Transition the child/youth in a way that supports gains made in the program 

A pre-admission period of pre-treatment work (individual, family and/or parenting sessions) prepare the child/youth and family for the intensive treatment experience.   

Weekend home visits (every week), allow for treatment strategies to be practiced.  This supports the transition of family communication and relationships to become healthier and more functional.