Wheeler’s Extended Day Treatment: Keeping Families Together

Wheeler’s Extended Day Treatment (EDT) program offers comprehensive, intensive therapeutic afterschool services designed to support youth aged 6 to 17 and their families. Operating five days a week, year-round, including during school vacations, the program aims to foster positive interactions within families and help youth remain in their communities, thereby reducing the likelihood of out-of-home placements. The program is currently operating in Plainville and Middletown.

Comprehensive Therapeutic Services
The EDT program provides a structured therapeutic environment where participants engage in various forms of therapy, including group, individual, family, and multi-family sessions. Additionally, the program offers psychiatric evaluations and medication management as needed. To address diverse needs, the program incorporates evidence-based treatment models such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Project Joy, and recreational therapy. Each youth's treatment plan is tailored to their unique needs and those of their family, ensuring personalized care. Typically, group treatments are conducted three times a day, five days a week for five to six months. 

“My favorite part about working in EDT is watching my client’s progress in real time. We spend almost every day with our clients over the course of their 4–6-month treatment and have the opportunity to form connections where we get to celebrate their wins, support their losses, and see their growth. I am so grateful to be a part of their process and support them in overcoming the unique challenges they face,” says Alisha Sanders, LMSW, clinician.

Multidisciplinary Team Approach
A dedicated multidisciplinary team, including master's-level clinicians, case managers, psychiatrists, and an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), collaborates to deliver these services. This team works closely with families to establish more positive ways of interacting, aiming to maintain the youth's residence within their home community. Our interns also feel a sense of pride watching the progress in their clients. 

Former intern, Julia Tice, MSW says, “I think my favorite part about EDT is seeing clients show their true personalities as they form relationships with our staff. I truly look forward to seeing them every time I come in and love watching their progress- no matter how big or small- from beginning to end of treatment. I think I'd want people to know that our staff is awesome, and we all care about these kids and the work we do.”

Positive Outcomes
The EDT program has demonstrated significant positive outcomes, including improved school attendance and functioning, a decrease in emergency department utilization and hospitalizations, and high levels of parent satisfaction with the services received. Of the clients who completed treatment, 100% met one or more of their identified treatment goals and 96.6% of clients in treatment were able to remain at home and in the community. These results underscore the program's effectiveness in supporting youth and their families. 

One eight-year-old client expresses their satisfaction.

“I like it. It is helping me to learn to be calm. I have fun and can draw and talk about problems.”

How to Utilize Our Services
Youth aged 6 to 17 can be referred to Wheeler by parents, public schools, Department of Children and Families (DCF), juvenile court, local systems of care and/or other service providers.