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January 28, 2026 

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Dear Parents, 

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Youth Care is very pleased and honored that you have chosen our organization as the place to seek treatment for your child.  We have an outstanding team of professionals that are invested in providing the most comprehensive and evidence based treatment for the students that enroll in our program.  We are guided by the mission of meeting the ongoing clinical, educational and behavioral needs of the students that we treat.  

 
Over the 37 years that Youth Care has been in business, we have successfully adapted our organization to meet the sophisticated needs of our students.  We know that every student in our program is different.  As a treatment provider we work collaboratively to identify interventions and programs that will help our students and families to learn new skills so they can successfully implement them into their lives.  

 

During the past year, our organization has seen an increase in the acuity of behaviors from our students.  These behaviors have created barriers for all students to successfully engage in treatment.  Our leadership team has been working on a restructuring of our program over the past few months to address the rapidly changing adolescent that we are treating.   

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We are pleased to share the restructuring of our organization and discuss how this will impact your child. 

Our program is designed to meet the daily behavioral and clinical needs of our students.  We have set up these interventions in each home to better assist our students in their clinical journey.  The program is designed to allow programming based upon level of care needs.  We will have a most restrictive to least restrictive environment for our students. 

  

Most Restrictive to Least Restrictive Homes: 

Brighton House.  Brighton house will be the most restrictive.  It is our stabilization home.  It is designed to be a short term intensive intervention to re-establish behavioral and emotional control.  We will be facilitating a Red/Green Program. 

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Horizon House.  All female house.  This home will be our mid restrictive environment. It is designed to be a longer term treatment intervention.  This home is designed for students to spend the majority of their treatment experience in this home.  We will be facilitating a combination level privileges/module Program.    

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Summit House.   All male house. This home will be our mid restrictive environment. It is designed to be a longer term treatment intervention.  This home is designed for students to spend the majority of their treatment experience in this home.  We will be facilitating a combination level privileges/module Program.  

  

Alpine House.  Alpine house will be our least restrictive.  It is designed for both short and long term care.  The students in this home are behaviorally and emotionally regulated.  They are prepared for co-educational interactions, community integration and increased privileges.  We will be facilitating a Module Program (identical to the current program). 

You may be asking yourself, how does this affect my student?  The treatment teams for all four of our houses have met this week and determined what level of care your student will be placed in. This decision was based upon a multitude of factors, ranging from behavioral and emotional regulation, engagement in the program and support for the staff/students that are working with them. Your therapist will be informing you on what home your child will be placed in.  

 

Our stabilization home, Brighton House is the program that you will see the greatest changes in.  We have attached the program overview and daily point sheet for your awareness.  All questions about the program can be addressed by your child’s therapist or a member of the leadership team.   

 

In addition, we have restructured our leadership teams to better support our homes.  We are confident these changes to our programmatic structure will better support the teams of staff and students in each home.   

 

Alpine/Brighton House Leadership 

Amy Miner—Clinical Director:  amy.miner@youthcare.com  

Matthew Jackson—Academic and Program Director:  matt.jackson@youthcare.com 

 

Horizon/Summit House Leadership 

Kelly Shaheen—Clinical Director:  Kelly.shaheen@youthcare.com  

Jaimie Branscomb—Program Director: Jaimie.branscomb@youthcare.com 

Matthew Jackson—Academic Director:  matt.jackson@youthcare.com 

 

Change can be very challenging for our students, staff and parents.  We ask all of you to be patient with our team as we adjust to this new programming, schedule and leadership support. 

  

Warm regards, 

 

Youth Care Leadership team 

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Brighton Program 

Students will earn a Green or a Red shift (days and swings each day). Green shifts are earned by demonstrating the following behaviors across 5 treatment domains: 

 

1. Safety/ Distress Tolerance 

1. No verbal or physical aggression, no property damage, no walking out of designated area without permission first (AWOL), no holding/ hiding or withholding information about contraband (including self harm tools, etc.), sexually acting out/ propositioning, suicide gestures/ attempts, self- harm, and using distress tolerance skills to get through crisis without making it worse, etc. 

1. Willingness 

1. Following staff prompts/ redirecting and following rules 75% of the shift 

1. Participation 

1. No ‘zero-stating’, participating in groups (staff and therapist facilitated alike), attending and participating in recreation therapy, attending and participating in PE, doing school work in class, complete given therapy assignments 

1. Effectiveness (Focusing on what works & Interpersonal Effectiveness) 

1. No using others/ manipulating others or recruiting them to participate in rule breaking/ unsafe behaviors, taking accountability for ones own actions, engaging in relationship repair work when needed/ making amends, using GIVE, no slurs of any kind, no swearing 

1. Self Care/ Self Respect Effectiveness 

1. No refusing medication, no refusing meetings with treating psychiatrist, waking up on time in the morning, doing chores, taking care of body (personal hygiene), doing laundry/ wearing clean clothes, taking care of your environment, following bedtime expectations, etc 

 

Brighton treatment team (staff/ therapists) will evaluate each student at the end of the day and swing shift.  A Brighton team review will be held each morning from 9 – 9:30 Mon – Fri to review red/ green status and address anticipated needs for the day.  

Students will earn a “Red” or “Green” status in each of the above treatment domains.  Students must earn “Green” in 3 or more of the 5 domains for a “Green Shift”.  One “Red Shift” + one “Green Shift” in a day = a “Red Day”.  

Students must have 12 of 14 green days in order to be eligible for moving out of Brighton House.  If no beds are available at other houses, eligible students will be placed on a waitlist for the next availability.  Students are required to maintain green status while on the waitlist to remain eligible.  

 

“Red Days” Restrictions: 

 

• Student will remain indoors for PE, and recreational groups.  

• Students are not allowed jewelry or makeup. (Spacers are allowed) 

• Student will not have visitors.  

• Student is limited to their weekly confidential phone call unless it is a major holidays. 

• Student will have 10 minutes of outside time daily with a staff member. 

• Student may participate in scheduled interactive games with peers. 

• Student will receive letters daily. 

*Please note that contact with family is limited to family therapy and the weekly confidential phone call 

“Green Days” Privileges: 

 

• Student may wear jewelry and makeup. 

• Student may wear slip-on sandals, flip-flops or slippers in the house. 

• Student may be eligible to make a 10 minute phone call to a family member. 

• Student may participate in on-site recreational activities once per week. 

• Student may participate in free time. 

• Student may use provided headset to listen to the radio 

• Students may go to the gym PE and recreation therapy when appropriate. Shoes will be worn during gym time. 

• Student may participate in scheduled weekend and holiday movies. 

• Student may have hair products. Student may use electric razor for shaving (pending precautions). 

• Student may participate in on-campus pass time with family. 

 

Yellow Reset: 

Students who are pushing limits in any of the 5 treatment domains may receive a yellow “card” from any staff, teacher or therapist.  The yellow “card” is a warning that they are on the way to earning a “red card”. Any student who redirects/ resets can interrupt a red card/ earn a green card.  Two yellow cards in any 1 domain in a shift = a red shift.  

 

THE NUCLEAR OPTION 

Purpose and Rationale (Target Behavior): Like nuclear warheads in real life, the nuclear card is something that is meant more as a deterrent than something that will not be deployed on a regular basis. The nuclear card will be reserved for only the most extreme behaviors that cause a safety issue or serious disruptions to the milieu.  The goal of the nuclear card is to help students understand that sometimes behaviors have a serious negative impact on the people around them, that current ineffective/ unsafe behaviors have the potential to damage the relationships in their life, and that some behaviors will overshadow other things from the day.  We hope that this option will help students gain insight by clearly delineating the dividing lines between ok behaviors/not ok behaviors/SERIOUSLY not ok behaviors.  Primary therapist/ house therapist, and key staff must be consulted before giving any student a “nuke”.   

Behaviors that warrant a “nuke” may include: 

• Violence/ aggression, sexually acting out, property destruction, bullying, suicide gestures, self-harm, unsafe disruptions during the night and any other behavior listed above per therapist and Brighton Treatment Team 

Process for Moving Kids in and Out of Brighton 

Students must DEARMAN treatment team when ready to move to a lower level of care on campus. When treatment team approves the DEARMAN, it must then go to the flash team for approval.  

*All the above are subject to Brighton Treatment Team, working with primary therapist, and/or administration discretion.* 

** An example of the Brighton Red/Green Sheet can be found on the Parent Resources Page.​

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Dear Parent/Guardian,

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It is the time of year that the administration of flu vaccine is recommended. If your child has never received a flu shot, you may want to consider their current living situation. They are in close, closed quarters with a lot of peers. When an illness starts in one of our homes, it tends to spread like wildfire throughout the community, including our staff. We strongly encourage you to consider having your child receive the vaccine.

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We realize that many of you have insurance that covers a flu vaccine, but it is impossible to get 60+ kids off campus to receive them. If you prefer to take your child somewhere when you are in town visiting and they are approved by the therapist to leave campus, you are welcome to do that. The alternative we use is to order the vaccine and have the nurses administer the shot. To cover the cost of the vaccine and syringes there is a $15.00 charge that would just be added to your account.

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Enclosed please find the Vaccine Information Statement and a Consent to Administer the vaccine. Please make sure the form is filled out completely. Even if you choose NOT to have your child vaccinated, we need the form returned indicating that you declined the “flu shot” for your child. If you know your child will be discharging soon, please wait until you get them home to get the shot.

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Please return the completed form ASAP. You can scan it to nursing@youthcare.com or fax to 801-523-8025.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to care for your child.

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The Youth Care Medical Team

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What is Influenza (Flu)?

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Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.

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Flu Symptoms

Flu can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these signs and symptoms:

• fever* or feeling feverish/chills

• cough

• sore throat

• runny or stuffy nose

• muscle or body aches

• headaches

• fatigue (tiredness)

• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

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How Flu Spreads

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze, or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes.

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Period of Contagiousness

You may be able to spread flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as when you are sick with symptoms.

• People with flu are most contagious during the first 3 days of their illness.

• Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick.

• Some people, including young children and people with weakened immune systems, may be contagious for longer periods of time

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Onset of Symptoms

The time from when a person is exposed and infected with influenza virus to when symptoms begin is about two days, but can range from about one to four days.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)

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July 9, 2025,​

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Dear Parents & Guardians:

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On July 1, 2025 the State of Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced its Ombuds Program as a resource for youth in treatment. Please see the attached brochure.

 

Should your student have a concern or complaint that they wish to discuss with someone outside of Youth Care, they will be able to call the Ombudsperson.  Since students do not currently have free access to phones, they will be able to ask their Therapist or Residential Supervisor for assistance to place the call. We are asking students to be patient until someone is available to assist them with making the call. The students can also use their regular phone call time to place the call themselves.

 

The State’s program is not meant to replace Youth Care’s in-house Student Advocate program outlined in your Student & Parent Handbook. We want students to continue to use the in-house Student Advocate program as needed; the Ombuds Program will be an additional resource for students.

 

Please contact your therapist is you have any questions.

You can find a copy of the brochure on the Parent Resource page.

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The new Student and Parent Handbook is here! You can find it on the Parent Resource page.

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