Mental Health In-Home Service

How can families in Alexandria, Virginia, receive structured support for youth facing behavioral and emotional challenges? At Alpha Healthcare Services LLC, our Mental Health In-Home Service offers intensive support for children and adolescents who are at risk of out-of-home placement or who are returning home from residential or foster care settings. Services are designed in alignment with Virginia Medicaid and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) standards. This program is structured, goal-focused, and time-limited to help stabilize youth in their home environment. Our main objectives are to help reduce psychiatric hospitalizations, support behavioral improvements, and assist in maintaining the youth’s current home setting.

Services are delivered primarily in the individual’s home or community and are built to meet each youth’s clinical needs. The program also helps families build the knowledge and structure needed to support youth safety and daily functioning.

Our services include, but are not limited to:

1. Clinical Assessment and Service Planning
   
   • A Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP), LMHP-Resident, LMHP-Supervisee, or QMHP-C conducts a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment to evaluate the youth’s mental health needs.
   • An Individualized Service Plan (ISP) is developed based on strengths, challenges, and preferences identified in the assessment.
   • Each plan includes measurable objectives and specific therapeutic interventions to guide care delivery.
2. Individual and Family Therapy
   
   • Youth receive direct therapeutic support to address clinical issues such as depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, PTSD, and mood regulation challenges.
   • Family sessions are used to improve communication, reduce conflict, strengthen parenting techniques, and improve coordination within the household.
3. Crisis Response and Stabilization
   
   • Immediate support is available 24/7 through telephone and in-person response, depending on the situation.
   • Individualized safety plans are created and implemented to manage acute emotional or behavioral crises and help reduce the need for hospitalization.
4. Behavioral Modification and Skill-Building
   
   • Clinicians apply evidence-based methods to reduce disruptive behaviors and strengthen appropriate ones.
   • Youth are taught coping strategies, self-regulation tools, and techniques to manage stress and frustration.
5. Psychoeducation
   
   • Youth and their caregivers receive education on mental health conditions, available treatment options, trauma recovery, medication routines, and local resources.
   • Topics also include stress management, communication improvement, and strategies for symptom awareness.
6. Care Coordination and Case Management
   
   • Care is coordinated with school staff, doctors, social services, and juvenile justice professionals as needed.
   • Staff assist families with navigating systems such as Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), community access, and legal involvement.
7. Parenting Support and Empowerment
   
   • Caregivers receive coaching on discipline approaches, supervision techniques, and conflict resolution.
   • One-on-one or group sessions are used to help caregivers build consistency, confidence, and strong routines at home.
8. Functional Skill Development
   
   • Youth are taught life skills such as time management, personal hygiene, homework completion, social skills, and problem-solving.
   • Interventions are tailored to the youth’s developmental stage and adjusted to reflect their everyday setting.
9. Medication Adherence Support (Non-Medical)
   
   • Staff help monitor whether prescribed medications are being taken as scheduled.
   • Support includes reminders, appointment coordination, and communicating observed concerns to prescribing providers.
10. Progress Monitoring and Reassessment
    
    • Treatment plans are reviewed regularly to track progress and make updates as needed.
    • Clinicians assess clinical functioning and review risk factors to ensure the ongoing appropriateness of services.
11. Discharge Planning and Linkage to Community Supports
    
    • A structured discharge plan is developed with the treatment team and family before services conclude.
    • Referrals may be made to outpatient therapy, peer programs, mentoring, or other community-based services to support continuity.