Welcome to Wyoming Behavioral Institute. We hope you find your experience with us to be positive and successful as we always strive to provide outstanding treatment.
Wyoming Behavioral Institute is a psychiatric hospital in Casper, Wyoming, that offers inpatient care for children, adolescents and adults. A 24-hour hotline is maintained to assist hospitals, individuals, families, law enforcement and others seeking an immediate response when faced with a psychiatric crisis. Call Shape 800-457-9312 for more information. We believe that every person admitted to our hospital has unique health care issues that require a specialized and individualized service approach. A patient exists as part of many systems, and we know that patients benefit greatly from caregivers, family and community supports.
Child and adolescent programs at Wyoming Behavioral Institute are offered for young patients who struggle with behavioral issues or a mental health disorder. Comprised of various group therapies, social activities, educational services and peer support, these programs are intended to promote positive thinking and healthy conflict resolution.
Our young patients receive educational services from state-certified teaching staff while in our care. We strongly encourage outpatient services after discharge to promote long-term progress and mental wellness.
For more information on youth behavioral health services, please view our patient handbook.
Wyoming Behavioral Institute’s child and adolescent inpatient program provides a supportive, nurturing environment for children and adolescents ages 5 to 17 to heal mentally and emotionally. When your child is in crisis, we can be here to provide a secure environment where problems can be identified and healing can begin.
Wyoming Behavioral Institute offers residential trauma-informed care for girls ages 10 to 17 affected by emotional trauma and mental health crises. It provides a supportive place for healing in which patients can develop new skills and learn appropriate methods of self-expression.
The program is intended for girls who have experienced trauma and face lasting mental and emotional effects from it. Complex trauma exposures include loss, neglect, witnessing, maltreatment and separation. These experience can lead to post-traumatic stress and other complex clinical symptoms such as:
To provide a safe environment for a diverse population of adolescents – especially those who have experienced trauma and its accompanying difficulties – through ethical and evidence-based treatment that focuses on recognizing the value of the individual, educating, providing them skills, and empowering them with a positive self-image to prepare them to be successful in life.
Accompanying difficulties = Depression, abuse (physical, sexual, emotional and neglect), attachment problems, oppositional and defiant behaviors, anxiety, and substance abuse.
It is important to have a basic understanding of trauma and to be able to look at the impact it has on those receiving care in a treatment facility. Knowing how a person responds to stress allows us to look at the person, not the behaviors. It is important for staff of all levels to be informed about sensitive or trauma related issues to help avoid re-traumatization of residents. It is critical to understand the unintentional triggers to help find positive ways to work through treatment related issues. There is a continual emphasis on safety and allowing residents to have respectful and sensitive interactions in treatment. Providing trauma informed services allows residents to feel a sense of control in their lives and their treatment. The trauma informed model provides for development of skills, rather than just managing the behavioral symptoms.
Starting where the resident is and attaching feelings with memories is how trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy works. We focus on working with Pathways residents to understand the meaning of the abuse they experienced and the automatic negative thoughts that come from those meanings. Observing how thought patterns led to the maladaptive behaviors in their lives results in an ability to make different choices. A heavy focus is placed on how thoughts develop from experiences and traumas in life. Teaching residents and their families about trauma helps them understand reactions to trauma. Learning the common thought distortions and correcting them allows residents and their families to move forward from past experiences.
The Pathways Program helps residents develop emotional regulation. Understanding emotional triggers and reactions, and finding ways to cope and manage some of those stressors, is emphasized at all levels. Group therapy is focused on grounding techniques, self-awareness, balancing thoughts and feelings, emotional regulation and mindfulness. There is a consistent focus on problem solving and correcting thought processes. Individual therapy also teaches residents to explore the emotional mind, the logical mind, and combining them for the wise mind. Residents who have experienced trauma often have significant emotional disturbances that create challenges in regulating emotions. It is important to help residents understand “safe space” and being grounded in reality to manage symptoms of trauma.
Some Pathways residents may benefit from medication therapy. Medication therapy is assessed and monitored by physicians. The physician will discuss any medication recommendations with the resident and the family before this treatment option is started.
The Pathways program emphasizes a collaborative problem-solving environment and some residents do not always choose to actively problem solve. Consequences and rewards provide learning experiences that help residents choose better options for themselves in the future. Consequences and rewards help discourage impulsive behavior and promote the acceptance of responsibility.
Often when Pathways residents are not behaving well it is because they are unable to do so at the time. Staff will offer the opportunity to place concerns on the table, in hopes of identifying the problem. Together, residents and staff problem solve until solutions are reached. This allows residents to learn skills that will benefit them in future interactions.
The Pathways Program is committed to the development and success of families. We believe Pathways program residents’ success is closely tied to family dynamics. Educating families is important. Youth who have mental health issues related to trauma commonly need their parents to understand concerns they experience. Teaching parents to understand their child’s emotions and to look for warning signs and emotional triggers is essential to moving toward more effective ways of managing distress. The more understanding a family has for the concerns of their loved ones, the more likely Pathways Program residents are to successfully reintegrate into the family structure. Regular contact with families is emphasized in the Pathways program. Pathways residents are able to earn passes outside of the treatment facility with their families to help with adjustment and reunification. Family services include:
Parenting groups are available to families. Families not residing in Casper can participate through teleconferencing. Sessions are offered for residents and their families and for parents alone. Some of the specific subjects covered in therapy include:
The Pathways Unit is structured to meet the treatment and academic needs of adolescents ages 10 to 16. Please read our Pathways handbook for more details.
