Branches Reno (Willow Springs Center)

Branches Reno, a service of Willow Springs Center in Reno, Nevada, offers a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) for youth who need more structure than weekly outpatient therapy but do not require (or no longer need) 24/7 residential care. The program includes separate tracks for children and teens; for adolescents, the PHP is designed for ages 12–17 and provides a highly structured weekday schedule while allowing teens to return home in the evenings.

Partial hospitalization is often used as a “step‑down” level of care after an inpatient or residential stay, or as an intensive option when symptoms are escalating but a family is able to keep a young person safe at home. At Branches Reno, programming is scheduled during typical school/workday hours (reported as 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday), giving families a predictable rhythm for treatment, school coordination, and home life.

Clinically, Branches Reno emphasizes Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and skills-based treatment to help young people manage intense emotions, reduce self-harm risk, and replace destructive coping patterns with healthier strategies. The program describes a combination of individual, group, and family therapy, along with DBT-oriented skills training such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. To help teens generalize skills beyond the therapy room, the program notes supervised outings and field trips where residents can practice coping and communication strategies in real-world settings.

A psychiatrist meets with patients weekly for psychiatric oversight and medication management when appropriate. Branches Reno also reports optional after-hours phone coaching to support DBT skill use outside of program hours. Average length of stay is described as about eight weeks, with discharge planning and coordination intended to support a smoother transition back to school routines and ongoing outpatient care.

Parents exploring Branches Reno can review program expectations and levels of care on the Willow Springs Center website and ask admissions staff how PHP may fit within a broader plan for safety, family support, and long-term stabilization.