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Children’s Mental Health School Year Program

Teens working on school work as a part of the educational component of the children's mental health program at Aris Clinic.

Behavioral and Mental Health During the School Year

At Aris Clinic, we understand that children’s mental health is essential for their success in school and life. Our school year IOP program provides tailored mental health support to help children manage stress, build coping skills, and develop healthy social and emotional habits throughout the academic year.

IOP Program Overview

We specialize in an intensive outpatient mental health program (IOP) for kids ages 8–18 struggling with emotional and behavioral health issues. Our program is designed to meet the unique needs of each child. Through individual and group therapy, skill-building sessions, and academic support, we focus on promoting emotional well-being, resilience, and positive peer relationships.

This is a Monday–Friday, full-day, in-person program that includes therapy and onsite education services. The program is short-term. Patients typically transition back to their regular school within 8–12 weeks.

What’s Included In Day Treatment Therapy?

Patients receive 3 hours of group therapy daily, focused on building essential skills in social interaction, psycho-education, behavioral management, and coping strategies. Each day includes a Therapeutic Process Group, a Therapeutic Skills Group using an acceptance and commitment therapy curriculum, and a Psychoeducation Group. All groups are interactive for each group member. Group sizes are limited to 8 members.

In addition to group therapy, our program includes:

  • Psychiatry sessions as needed 1–3 times per week. 
  • Individual therapy as needed based on specific patient needs to address individualized goals.
  • Weekly family therapy session to review progress, develop parenting strategies, and reinforce family collaboration. 

School with Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Our classroom is an extension of our therapeutic programming and allows students to practice the skills they are building at Aris Clinic. We collaborate with the local school district to incorporate regular schooling into the daily IOP. By providing schooling within the therapeutic programming, our team can teach strategies for acceptance and healthy routines. In addition, it enables us to clarify a patient’s diagnosis, treatment and discharge readiness.

We provide education services to all patients using NE Metro 916 curriculum and general/special education teachers. Our program has a low student to teacher ratio of 10:1. In addition, frequent teacher interaction is provided to support students with educational needs. Teachers coordinate appropriate courses and learning materials to support each student.

How Education Services Work

Upon patient enrollment, parents are asked to sign a Release of Information (ROI) so that school contact may be made. The teachers work closely with home schools to ensure students continue with the curriculum their home school would like the student to focus on. Students in grades 9–12 can choose to continue to pursue their studies from their home high school under the guidance of the 916 teachers. Alternatively, they can use the 916’s curriculum, which is aligned to Minnesota state standards. In addition, there is a strong partnership with the Aris Clinic staff to maintain balance of academics and each student’s treatment goals.

Prior to discharging from the program, the educational team coordinates an assessment review. Family and staff from the patient’s home school are invited to review treatment progress, recommendations for continued care, and any changes made to the individual education plan (IEP). Aris Clinic and teaching staff may consult with the patient’s home school if an alternative educational placement is recommended after IOP treatment.

Typical School Year Daily Schedule 

Our team works closely with patients and their families to identify problem areas. We group patients by age and therapeutic needs.

  • Program Hours: Monday–Friday
    • Grades 2-8 – 8:15 a.m. check in, 3:00 p.m. departure
    • Grades 7-12 – 9:00 a.m. check in, 3:45 p.m. departure
  • 3 Hours of Educational Programming: Patients earn credit for their school work while at Aris Clinic through Minnesota’s public Northeast Metro District 916.
  • 3 Hours of Intensive Therapeutic Programming: Group therapy includes activities and learning social, psycho-educational, mindfulness and coping skills.
  • Psychiatry Sessions: 3–5 times per week, based on patient need.
  • Family Therapy: A weekly session to discuss strategies and convey progress.
Teen girls in group therapy in the IOP at Aris Clinic.

1 in 5 children ages 13-18 in the U.S. need mental health services; only 20% are likely to receive professional help

Source: National Institute of Mental Health