Bottom line:
- Adolescent residential treatment in Somerset, NJ provides 24-hour supervised clinical care for pregnant or parenting young women ages 13-20, along with their children.
- Referrals are managed through PerformCare, New Jersey’s single point of access for youth behavioral health services.
- Families can expect a trauma-informed, structured program that addresses mental health, life skills, and parenting support under one roof.
Adolescent residential treatment is a live-in, clinically supervised program designed to stabilize serious mental health challenges in young people who need more support than outpatient care can offer. For families in Somerset, NJ, understanding what this level of care actually looks like day-to-day can make the decision process significantly less overwhelming.
Who the Program Serves and How to Get In
The adolescent residential treatment in Somerset, NJ program serves pregnant or parenting young women between the ages of 13 and 20, along with their children up to age 5. This population-specific focus is rare. New Jersey’s program for adolescents who are pregnant or parenting is the state’s sole residential program of its kind.
Access to the program follows a specific pathway. All referrals must go through PerformCare. The New Jersey Department of Children and Families contracts with PerformCare through the Children’s System of Care to provide behavioral and emotional health services, resources for children and youth under the age of 21, and substance use and addiction treatment. Families can reach PerformCare at 1-877-652-7624 to begin the eligibility process.
The Residential Treatment Center (RTC) level of care provides 24-hour staff-supervised, all-inclusive clinical services in a community-based therapeutic setting for youth who present with severe and persistent challenges in social, emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric functioning. Youth receive individualized clinical interventions, psychopharmacology services when clinically indicated, educational services, medical services, and structured programming within a safe, controlled environment.
What Daily Life Looks Like Inside the Program
Once admitted, residents follow a structured daily schedule. Days include structured therapy sessions, educational programming, recreational activities, and peer support time. The schedule balances clinical work with healthy activities that build life skills and connections.
The program integrates mental health therapy, case management, life skills development, supportive services, and child-centered programming. Residents do not leave their children behind. Children up to age 5 can live with their mothers while they are in the program. One notable feature of the facility is Katy’s Place, an onsite licensed child development center.
Clients receive 24-hour residential care, co-occurring disorder treatment, and medication-assisted treatment. Programming includes counseling and intensive case management with life-skills support. Evidence-based approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing, contingency management, relapse prevention, and trauma-related counseling help residents heal while strengthening parenting skills.
| Program Feature | What to Expect |
| Who is served | Pregnant or parenting women, ages 13-20, with children up to age 5 |
| Referral pathway | Through PerformCare (NJ Children’s System of Care) |
| Clinical services | Individual therapy, group therapy, case management, medication support |
| Child services | Katy’s Place onsite child development center |
| Living arrangement | Residential on-site; mothers and children stay together |
The Trauma-Informed Approach and Family Collaboration
Many young women in this program have already experienced childhood trauma, including physical or sexual violence, homelessness, and poverty. The clinical model is built around that reality. What distinguishes the care model is its trauma-responsive, relationship-based framework designed for sustained recovery, which means more than abstinence and includes holistic wellbeing and relational health.
Families and outside systems remain part of the process. The program collaborates with the Board of Social Services, Medicaid, the Social Security Administration, housing and employment agencies, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P), Care Management Organizations (CMOs), and the legal system.
According to the SAMHSA Treatment Referral Routing Service, families seeking behavioral health treatment for youth can call 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential referral guidance available 24 hours a day in English and Spanish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for this program? The program provides mental health treatment to pregnant or parenting young women between the ages of 13 and 20 and their children up to age 5.
How does a family start the referral process? PerformCare can refer and authorize substance use and behavioral health treatment services for eligible youth who meet the clinical criteria. Families can call PerformCare at 1-877-652-7624 for more information about eligibility.
Can a young woman’s child stay with her during treatment? Yes. This program allows children under 5 years of age to stay with their mothers while they receive treatment.
Is the program accredited? The program holds CARF accreditation with a focus on residential behavioral health treatment for children and adolescents, with a first accreditation date of 2016.
For families ready to take the next step, Center For Great Expectations is located at 19B Dellwood Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873, and can be reached at 732-247-7003. The program accepts Medicaid and works with multiple funding sources to support access to care. Beginning with a PerformCare call is the first concrete action any family can take toward placement.
