Eastern Oregon Children's Multi-Treatment Center – Unofficial Blog

EOCMTC’s goal is success for every child and family. Here they continuously evaluate their treatment services and the treatment outcome data researchers collect and strive to improve services. It is doctors’ way to be sure that each child improves in treatment.

EOCMTC is proud of the quality and effectiveness of our treatment services for children and families. Their accreditation guarantees that EOCMTC meets national treatment service and improvement standards for residential centers.

EOCMTC’s treatment improvement rates far exceed the national mean for all children’s residential treatment centers. Multi-treatment approach, using school, home and community as therapeutic milieus integrated with center-based psychiatric services and clinical supervision, is unique among residential treatment centers. Employees know multi-treatment works because children and families who come to them for treatment tell so. State and federal monitoring of treatment plans and documentation of treatment outcomes for each child, using measures such as the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale, confirms their progress.

This graph compares EOCMTC’s treatment improvement rates with all other centers over two and a half years of national data collection by the CHARPP Improvement Measurement Program. The last six months of data shows EOCMTC treatment improvement rates were more then 23% higher than the mean for all centers and 93% higher than low-performing centers.

The Eastern Oregon Children’s Multi-Treatment Center is the only program east of the Cascade Mountains providing hospital level psychiatric care in Oregon. The majority of the children admitted to the Center have come from communities in the 18 counties in eastern, central, and southern Oregon. Of the 241 children admitted to the Center from January 1, 1998 through September 30, 2002, 70 percent are from Oregon communities east of the Cascade Mountains.

The 241 children admitted represent 27.5 percent of the 878 children referred for service. EOCMTC is expanding capacity to meet the increased numbers of children in need of high quality psychiatric treatment services.

Eastern Oregon Children’s Multi-Treatment Center strives to provide excellence in regional, individualized, comprehensive, intensive assessment and treatment to psychologically disordered children and their families while the child is under our care. Treatment includes culturally responsive psychosocial services which promote insight, self-responsibility, healthy family relationships, moral stability, and social competence. EOCMTC’s primary therapeutic model is the cognitive behavioral approach which encourages each child to better understand him or herself as a person, learn to think through challenges, build strengths, and behaviorally practice solutions to personal, academic, familial, and interpersonal problems.

EOCMTC believes that:
1. The child with severe and multiple emotional problems has the right to a therapeutic process designed to increase their individual strengths encompassing their intellectual and creative awareness, developing internal behavioral controls, using effective problem solving techniques, and producing positive membership in their own community.

2. Challenging treatment issues are best addressed by a team of professionals, family and community members. This team uses innovative and creative interventions based on informed, pro-active and mutually agreed upon treatment interventions that are research driven and highly sensitive to client, family, culture, team, and community resources.

3. General systems (community systems) theory presents a valid organizing structure, a broader understanding of human needs, and a greater opportunity for the acceptance of the constancy of change.

4. Therapeutic services are guided by the need for stabilizing behavior and normalizing experiences aid in transitioning children back into their own family and community systems.

5. Children and their biological, adoptive, foster, and/or residential treatment parents are encouraged to assume active roles in the treatment planning process and delivery of services.

6. Cost-effectiveness is not a substitute but an adjunct to quality of service.

7. Restraint should be used only if the child is in danger of hurting himself or others in his surroundings.

8. Medication management is a vital and viable tool in meeting the needs of many of our children and is considered on an individual basis.

Eastern Oregon Children’s Multi-Treatment Center, also known as Multi-Treatment or EOCMTC, was organized in 1989 and is located at 622 Airport Road in Pendleton, northeastern Oregon. EOCMTC is a non-profit, 501-C-3 corporation designed to serve children with mental disorders who need multiple, coordinated treatment services, primarily within the seventeen east-central counties of Oregon: male and female, ages eight through 17. EOCMTC is professionally accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), and two licensing bodies insuring compliance with Oregon regulations governing state Day and Residential Treatment Services (previously known as DARTS). EOCMTC has historically worked with some of the most challenging and vulnerable children in the state, including children designated as especially difficult to treat and place by the Target Planning Committee, Oregon State Hospital, Developmental Disabilities, Services to Children and Families, and Oregon Youth Authority.

In the late 1980’s, the State of Oregon formed a group through the Children’s Services Division (now CAF) to evaluate whether there were adequate resources for youth with severely incapacitating mental illness. The few programs that existed to serve these “target problem and level five” youth often had waiting lists of up to two years. It was also found that the majority of these children were placed in regular foster care without implementation of treatment to address their special needs. In response to those findings, Children Services and Mental Health worked together to creatively fund new beds to serve these high-risk youth. EOCMTC is a result of great need and an effort to meet this demand for treatment services. Historically our mission has been to adequately serve and provide an opportunity for some of the most mentally ill children in the state to be able to return home and be a successful part of their community.

EOCMTC integrates an in-house school program, which is part of the local public school system, and a therapeutic “in-home” treatment (in highly trained and certified therapeutic Contract Care Homes, or CCHs) to provide as normal a living arrangement for our children as possible during treatment. If children decline, we also have our residential facility for safe and secure support. While in school, children receive individualized educational instruction, a high staff to student ratio, therapeutic treatment services and specific therapy groups. Treatment topics may include: sexual victimization and reactivity, alcohol and drug abuse, normal childhood development, family therapy, recreational therapy, education about each individual’s mental health problems, social skills training, and real life skills, always striving to build strengths for each child. The therapeutic services for every child are managed by a team of clinical experts which include an educational specialist/certified teacher, a drug/alcohol counselor, a family/individual therapist, and a case assistant which work in concert with the child’s own family and outside support sources, who are led by a Clincal Program Director, Child Psychiatrist, and Clinical Supervisor/Psychologist. This innovative multi-treatment is based on the medical model of review but has elements of traditional outpatient and residential services, focussing on the school, the home, and the community environments as milieus for the treatment experience while still providing the more focused therapeutic attention of a residential facility.

In essence, individualized, therapeutic treatment is on going, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, both in therapeutic foster homes, treatment school, and the center’s offices. Yet the children’s day is a fairly ‘normal’ one during which he goes to school in the morning, and returns to a family in the evenings and weekends. The therapeutic (Contract Care Home or CCH) parents, the therapist, the teacher(s), the child’s family and the Clinical Staff brainstorm and teamwork decisions, information, discipline, rewards, and support, expanding the socialization and accountability of each client far beyond what is available in most treatment settings.

In November of 1998, EOCMTC began a staff secure Assessment and Stabilization Program that offers assessment of children suffering from failures at school and home which are thought to be due to mental illness. In this program, our staff secure facility is utilized initially to access clinical observation round the clock in a closed milieu for up to 14 children. After approximately two or more weeks, most of these children are moved to a therapeutic home under our treatment umbrella of services in order to also observe the children in a community setting and offer less restrictive living accommodations.

The EOCMTC offices are open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with a professional on-call emergency service available to all treatment members and parents 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, via a mobile phone system. In addition, our staff secure residential facility is operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Today it is very important to bring up kids who understand that the modern world is a multicultural village where the people of different lands and nationalities come together to build a future together. It is essential to see that these people should do everything they can to achieve understanding and sports can do that because it brings everyone together for a common goal. Studies show that people who know representatives of different cultures are usually more tolerant and accepting towards different countries’ traditions and customs. If you take your children into soccer for kids they may understand different cultures better through learning and playing together. Team spirit and respect for discipline can help develop important character traits. So make sure you stay on top of your game and know what you are doing. So try it with your kid.

As you know when people get alder they start to feel worse and worse. Some people say that this is the process of aging or probably the negative influence of the environment which surrounds us. Of course they are partially true but sometime you should also blame yourself when you feel bad. For example, most people have different bad habits which produce influence on their health. One of such things is smoking which kills a lot of people every day. First you think that it is cool. But you do not realize the negative effect of smoking. Afterwards it can lead to serious problems with heart, your skin and even cancer. And of course it is not easy to give up this bad habit. But there’s always a way out of this situation. You can use The Electronic Cigarette which is the latest way to substitute the actual cigarette. In this case you smoke and do not harm your health and people who are around you.

Quitting smoking is always a battle and luckily there are many types of smoking cessation tricks out there for people to try out. The latest is the electronic cigarette which is a device that helps people imitate the process without the health risk implications. It gives the smoker a sensation of smoking without exposing them to the dangers of smoking so the process of cessation can be easier. It is always advisable to combine several other techniques like acupuncture or hypnotic therapy so that the process works as a system. It is also vital to remember about the psychological part of it and making sure you get rid of small reminders of the habit. For example, some people start smoking electronic cigarettes which are getting more and more popular. For example, you micro electronic cigarette if you do not want anybody know about your bad habbit. It may be a good idea to move to a new place for a while or go on a holiday. This is a wonderful chance to make sure you are on the right path to health and prosperity because quitting smoking will bring positive change to your life.

It is very important to pay attention to what is going on in one’s life in terms of health. Sometimes we tend to take our health for granted but it should be noted that sleep apnea Toronto is out there as a testimony of many people who have problems with sleep which may adversely affect their life. It is important to understand that there are people out there who are willing to look at their situation realistically and make positive changes. Sleep is very important for everyone and all of us should realise that. It is essential to get enough of it and the quality also has to be really good. Therefore people should learn different techniques of getting good sleep every night and should be prepared to use them on a daily basis. It is essential to pay careful attention to these things and always stay healthy.

The Center has well-qualified, clinical staff.

The Center’s innovative multi-treatment program creatively focuses on the school, home and community environments as milieus for a child’s treatment experience. While there are some elements of traditional out-patient and residential services, individualized, therapeutic treatment is on going, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the Contracted Care Home (CCH) and in the Center. Each child’s day is a fairly “normal” one during which he or she goes to school and returns to a family in the community, whenever possible, in the evenings and on weekends. CCH parents, therapists, teachers and clinical staff work closely together to provide support to expand the socialization and accountability of each child far beyond what is available in most treatment settings.

Clinical team members treating children include a family therapist, a drug and alcohol counselor, individual therapists, and case assistants.

A team is formed for each child that brings together the array of expertise needed to provide an individualized program of therapy to the child and family. A Master’s level clinician and case assistant is assigned to each child to provide therapy and remain resourcefully active in that child’s treatment.

Now it is just the time to talk about people who work in this centre. They are marvellous, kind and extremely generous… Let us see why.

EOCMTC takes pride in its excellent staff. Each staff member is committed to accommodate the needs of all children and their families to create the appropriate environment in which the children will build the strengths and skills needed to successfully return to their homes, schools and communities.

The clinical staff are Masters and Doctorate level professionals teamed together to provide professional oversight of the children’s treatment. Many doctors practice in Portland, Oregon and are on the faculty of the Oregon Health Sciences University. Our child psychiatrists provide psychiatric overview and leadership services during team reviews with the children, families and clinical staff members.

The psychiatrists are regularly scheduled to work at the Center at least one day per week. In emergencies, when immediate consultations are needed, the Center has an interactive television system connected by T-1 service to the Oregon Health Science University and to each of the psychiatrist’s private practice offices.A therapeutic services team is assembled for each child’s treatment. A Masters and Doctoral level family therapist, an individual therapist, an education specialist and a case assistant make up each child’s team. The team draws on staff psychiatrists, psychologists, a dietitian, and other contracted experts in the fields of medicine and education as needed. Very often au pair nannies come for practice. The program director, clinical supervisor/psychologist, and the assigned child psychiatrist supervise the treatment teams. All treatment team members know each child’s treatment plan, needs and goals, and are innovative in bringing resources together to best serve the children.

Teachers certified by the Oregon Teachers Standards and Practices Commission staff the in-house education program. The education director is an employee of the Pendleton School District and works for the Center under a contractual agreement with the District. Teachers’ aides assist students with their individual assignments.

The Center’s staffing ratios for both its residential and day treatment programs exceed the State of Oregon standards for Children’s Intensive Mental Health Services. These standards require:

• One teacher/aide per seven children (the Center maintains at least a 1:4 ratio);
• One Qualified Mental Health Professional treatment staff per three children;
• One qualified family therapist per 12 children; and
• Psychiatric consultation of at least 30 minutes per month for each child.

This article will be devoted to services that are offered by EOCMT and other establishments of the same kind.

The focus of the Center’s service is the multiple and severely mentally and/or emotionally disabled child who has typically failed to adjust in the family, the school setting and had previous treatment episodes. Often times these children’s level of maturation has been delayed or arrested so they appear more childish and younger than non-disabled children.

Some of the multiple and disabling issues treated include:

• Suicide attempts/self-harm
• Learning disabilities
• Fetal drug and/or alcohol effect
• Sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse/victimization
• Dysfunctional support systems
• Schizophrenia or permanent psychotic disorders
• Personality disorder features
• Education failure
• Gender confusion
• Drug and/or alcohol abuse
• Property destruction
• Threat of injury to others
• Multiple psychiatric hospitalizations or treatment placements
• History of running away
• Ongoing legal involvement due to acting out behavior
• Need for medication management
• Lack of appropriate hygiene and social skills

At such centers they, do not generally treat severely mentally retarded children, although they do treat emotionally disturbed children that are in the borderline area of intellectual functioning if they otherwise meet admission criteria.

EOCMTC’s Equine Therapy Program is designed to enhance the current therapeutic services and provide children with an emotionally supportive environment where certified Equine Therapists help children gain skills and emotional well being through animal therapy. EOCMTC’s Equine Therapists and the children they help treat, operate in a safe, contained area in which to conduct therapeutic exercises. This site and program includes a barn, corral, round pen of sand and panels, riding areas, hay shed, and goat pen. The program has been supported by many local donors and volunteers including Rod Anderson, the Pendleton Branch of Rotary International, Pendleton Grain Growers, Ed and Jan Stith, and the Grilley Family, to list only a few. EOCMTC’s very gentle horses offer our children safe experiences that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Equine Therapy provides children interaction and outcomes with horses that include children building emotional strengths and demonstrating skill areas such as the following: * empathy (being able to identify and understand the feelings and motives of others) *an outward focus (coming out of themselves to focus positively on their environment) *nurturing (concern with promoting the growth and development of the horses and other animals) *rapport (bonding and forming trust relationships) *feeling accepted (favorable reception and approval) *being entertained (enjoying the horses’ reactions and antics) socialization (enjoying the company of others in caring for and riding the horses) *mental stimulation and decreased feeling of isolation or alienation *a desire to learn about animals and gain new physical/recreational skills. The Center’s staff members receive training in animal-assisted therapy which focus on the above goals as well as safety and integrating the use of horses into structured therapy routines.

In addition to horses, EOCMTC offers children exposure to other animals. In the summer of 2003, EOCMTC purchased a pair of pygmy goats to eat star thistle weed (which is bad for horses) on the edge of the campus. We did not know it at the time, but both goats were pregnant when they came to us and four very cute little babies were born in the winter of 2004. Our children fell in love with the goats and began taking them on walks with dog collars and leashes. Star thistle was not good enough feed, our children decided and the goats now enjoy grain, fresh grass, and hay. Sweet natured cats who chase away field mice from our grain supply are friendly inhabitants of our barn and we usually have a couple of dogs who love attention. We also have added Ellie Mae, a miniature donkey of only 3 feet height to our menagerie. The children sure do love our animals!