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Sai Treatment CentersResidential Care · Reno, Nevada

Ages 12–17 · Reno, Nevada

Adolescent residential treatment, in a home, not a unit.

For teenagers whose depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harm, or substance use has grown past what weekly therapy can hold. Teens live in a licensed house in Northwest Reno with awake staff around the clock, see a child and adolescent psychiatrist on site, keep up with school every weekday, and go home with a plan the whole family helped write.

Residential treatment for adolescents is the level of care between outpatient therapy and a psychiatric hospital. It is indicated when safety has become a concern, when a teen has been hospitalized and needs somewhere to go besides the same bedroom, or when outpatient care has been tried honestly and has not been enough. Most stays run 30 to 90 days.

Sai Treatment Centers is one of the few adolescent residential programs in Northern Nevada, which means families in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and the Tahoe communities do not have to send a child out of state to get 24-hour care. We are licensed and certified by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health and led by a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist.

Is residential right for my teen? (775) 800-1136

What it actually looks like here

A real house, a real routine, and adults who do not leave.

No stock photos of strangers laughing on a beach. Here is what the two homes are, who they are for, and what a Tuesday looks like inside one.

Ages 12–17

Adolescent Residential

A licensed residential home for teenagers whose depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harm, or substance use has grown past what weekly therapy can hold. Teens live here with awake staff around the clock, see a psychiatrist on site, and keep up with school.

Setting
A real house in a Northwest Reno neighborhood, not a hospital unit
Staffing
Licensed clinicians, nurses, and mental health technicians, awake overnight
Psychiatry
On-site evaluation and medication management by a child and adolescent psychiatrist
School
Daily academic block coordinated with the teen's home school
Family
Weekly family therapy plus scheduled calls and visits

A Tuesday in the teen home

  1. 7:00Wake up, medications with the nurse, breakfast made in the kitchen
  2. 8:30Community meeting: how did last night go, what is today's goal
  3. 9:30Process group with a licensed therapist
  4. 11:00Individual therapy, or a psychiatry check-in
  5. 12:30Lunch, then downtime
  6. 13:30School block: assignments from the home school, tutoring support
  7. 15:00Art, music, or recreation; outdoor time in the yard
  8. 17:30Dinner together, chores, family phone call window
  9. 20:00Skills group or reflection, then wind-down; lights out by 21:30

Representative. Each resident’s schedule is set by their treatment plan, and weekends are lighter.

The first 72 hours

Fear of the unknown is most of the fear. So here is the unknown.

Hour by hour, this is what happens from the first phone call through the third day. Families tell us that reading this is the moment the decision got easier.

  1. Before arrival

    The phone call

    • You speak with an admissions coordinator, not a call center. Expect 15 to 20 minutes.
    • We ask what is happening, what has been tried, and what medications are involved.
    • We verify insurance, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and tell you what we learn in plain language.
    • We send a short packing list and an arrival time. If you need same-day help, say so.

  2. Day 1

    Arrival

    • A staff member meets you at the door. Belongings are checked for safety, respectfully and with the resident present.
    • A nursing assessment: vitals, medication reconciliation, withdrawal screening for adults.
    • A tour of the house and the bedroom, a meal, and an introduction to the other residents.
    • Families leave with the name and direct line of their point of contact.

  3. Day 2

    Evaluation

    • Psychiatric evaluation with the psychiatrist, including any medication changes.
    • A full clinical assessment with a licensed therapist.
    • First groups. Nobody is asked to share more than they are ready to.
    • For teens, we contact the school to arrange assignments.

  4. Day 3

    The plan

    • A written treatment plan with goals the resident helped set.
    • A first family update, and the first family session is scheduled.
    • An estimated length of stay, which we revisit every week with you and with the insurer.
    • The routine takes over. Most residents say the third day is when the house starts to feel like theirs.

Safety and accountability

The questions people are afraid to ask. Asked and answered.

You are handing us someone you love. You are entitled to know exactly how the house is run, who is awake, and what happens when something goes wrong. Ask us these on the phone, too. We will give the same answers.

Licensed and certified by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Physician-led. Complaints and inspection history are public record, and we will discuss ours with you directly.

Is someone awake at night?
Yes. Staff are awake and on the floor overnight, every night. Bedroom checks happen on a set schedule, more often for anyone on a safety watch.
Who handles medications?
Nurses. All medications, including over-the-counter ones, are stored securely and administered by nursing staff according to the psychiatrist's orders. Nothing is self-managed.
Is the home licensed and inspected?
Yes. Sai Residential Treatment Center is licensed and certified by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, and is subject to state inspection and complaint investigation. We would rather you ask us about our record than wonder.
What happens if a resident tries to leave?
This is a home, not a locked facility, and we say that plainly. Staff follow a written protocol: verbal de-escalation first, immediate notification of the family or guardian, and coordination with local authorities when a minor's safety requires it. Elopement risk is assessed on day one and again whenever circumstances change.
How are staff screened?
Every employee passes a state background check and fingerprinting before working with residents, and completes training in crisis de-escalation, suicide prevention, medication safety, and mandated reporting.
How do I reach my person, or reach you about them?
Families get a named point of contact with a direct line. Residents have scheduled phone windows daily. If something happens outside those windows, we call you. We do not wait for you to call us.

Before you call

The practical part, for parents.

What to pack, what to say, what to do about work and school and phones. The stuff nobody writes down.

What to pack

  • Five to seven days of comfortable clothes; laundry is on site
  • Toiletries without alcohol as a listed ingredient; no aerosols or glass
  • Current medications in original pharmacy bottles
  • Insurance card and a photo ID if they have one
  • School login details and any current assignments
  • A few photos or a comfort item from home
  • Leave at home: phones, tablets, smartwatches, vapes, anything with a cord, hoodies with drawstrings

Telling your teen

  • Say it once, calmly, and do not negotiate the decision, only the details
  • "This is not a punishment. This is because I am not willing to lose you."
  • Expect anger. It usually is fear. You do not have to fix it in the driveway
  • Tell them the concrete things: it is a house, there is a yard, you will talk every day
  • If you need help with the conversation, call us first. We do this weekly

Your role during treatment

  • Weekly family therapy, in person or by video
  • Daily scheduled calls; we will tell you the window
  • Honest updates from a named point of contact, not a switchboard
  • A discharge plan you help write, including what changes at home
  • Aftercare with our sister practice, Sai Mental Health, so nothing restarts from zero

Questions

What people actually ask us.

Will my kid hate me for this?

Some are angry on day one. Almost none are angry on day thirty. Teens who arrive furious usually settle within the first week once they realize the house is calm, the rules are consistent, and the adults are not going anywhere. Family therapy is where that anger gets worked through, with a therapist in the room.

What if they refuse to go?

Call us anyway. A parent or legal guardian can consent to treatment for a minor in Nevada, and we have admitted many teens who did not want to come. We will talk you through how to say it, what to expect at drop-off, and what we do in the first hours to lower the temperature. If the situation at home is unsafe right now, we can also help you decide whether the emergency room should come first.

Can they keep their phone?

No, not for the first stretch. Phones are secured on arrival. Contact with family happens through scheduled daily calls and visits, and phone privileges are reintroduced as part of the treatment plan. Every parent worries about this. Most tell us later it was the single most helpful rule.

Will they fall behind in school?

There is a school block every weekday. We contact the home school in the first days, receive assignments, and send work back. Credits continue. If the school has been part of the problem, that is something we can plan around together.

How often can I visit or call?

Scheduled phone calls daily and visits on set days each week, adjusted with the treatment team. You also have a family session with the therapist weekly and a named point of contact with a direct line.

How long will they be there?

Most adolescent stays run 30 to 90 days. Length is clinical, not fixed. We set an estimate in the first week and review it with you and the insurer regularly.

Is it locked? Is it safe?

It is a licensed home in a residential neighborhood, not a locked unit, and we say that plainly. Staff are awake overnight, medications are nurse-managed, and there is a written protocol if a teen tries to leave. See the safety section below for the specifics.

Admissions

Four steps. Usually within 48 hours. Same day when it has to be.

Getting someone into residential care should not feel like a second crisis. This is exactly what happens when you reach out.

  1. 01

    Call, text, or request a callback

    You reach a person who does this every day. Tell us what is going on. We listen first.

  2. 02

    A short clinical screening

    Twenty minutes, confidential, by phone. We confirm residential is the right level, and that we can genuinely meet the need. If we cannot, we tell you who can.

  3. 03

    Benefits verified and explained

    Usually within 24 to 48 hours. You hear the deductible, the out-of-pocket limit, and whether authorization is required, before you commit to anything.

  4. 04

    Admission

    A scheduled arrival, or same-day when safety requires it. We admit directly from emergency rooms and hospitals.

(775) 800-1136 Text the same number

Admissions line answered 24 hours a day, including holidays

Request a callback

Two minutes. We do the rest.

This is for
How urgent
Reach me by
Best time

Used only to contact you about admission, and handled under HIPAA. Sending this does not create a patient relationship. Texting is not fully secure; do not include medical details you would rather share by phone.

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