The Willows Program at Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health System is our specialized trauma program for young women, ages 8 to 17. It provides a team treatment approach focused on acknowledging the impact of past trauma and emotional concerns, while helping patients build safe and functional coping methods.

Open to patients from across the country, The Willows Program is equipped to treat youth who have been victims of trauma, including sexual abuse and dissociated sexually reactive behaviors.

Though it is a residential program, The Willows Program is run and staffed like an acute psychiatric program, allowing for an exceptional level of individualized care. The program utilizes evidence-based practices sensitive to age, gender and trauma history. Our trauma-informed milieu structure provides expressive therapy modules and exercises in:

• Accountability and empathy development
• Psychoeducation
• Relapse prevention
• Identification of behavior cycles
• Development of grounding skills for emotional safety
• Creating safe family and social supports
• Addressing Triggers and Healing Emotional Responses

Our dedicated staff members are trained to engage the complex issues affecting young women and their families. The clinical team includes two child psychiatrists, a licensed therapist certified as an EMDR provider, a unit manager, a milieu coordinator, an activity therapist and a nursing team with specific training in techniques of collaborative problem solving, trauma-informed care and relapse prevention.

Treatment includes:

• Academics and Trauma Focused workbook curriculum
• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Family therapy
• Nursing education
• Psychiatric care and medication management
• Dietary counseling
• Activity therapy

Every child attends school on site led by certified teachers through the Hardin County School System. The program also includes three tracks to accommodate the needs of each child related to age, treatment history and co-occurring psychiatric.

Some of the treatment goals are:

• Reintegration into the child’s home, school and social environment with an established safety plan and new skills for forming healthy relationships
• Healing within the family systems affected by prior trauma, sexual experiences and neglect and/or abuse
• Development of an extensive relapse prevention plan that addresses both self-victimization and harm to others
• Mastery of healthy forms of self-expression and personal boundaries
• Psychiatric evaluation and identification of potential medication target symptoms
• Management of symptoms and impact of psychiatric disorders

• Current or recent patterns of self-victimization or other patterns through sexual acts/relationships.
• Be between the ages of 9 and 17 years old.
• Must reasonably be able to benefit from treatment by having a full scale IQ greater than or around 70.
• Recent behavioral issues or self-mutilation related to past trauma.
• Presents with a psychiatric diagnosis of major mental disorder (i.e. PTSD, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder and/or Sexual Abuse of Child with or without substance use disorder).
• History of self-victimization and/or psychiatric conditions requiring treatment.

The precise length of stay is dependent upon the determination of each child’s progress and benefit from treatment. The average length of stay is approximately six to nine months.

Download and complete our application form.

Please print the Willows Program application, thoroughly complete each section and fax to 270-352-2832.