Inside our home
Sixteen teens. One front door. Here's what daily life actually looks like.
HOC is a CARF-accredited, DSS-licensed residential treatment program for adolescent boys, levels 2–3. Average length of stay is 10–12 months. The home holds sixteen residents. Below is the rhythm of an actual day.
A day at HOC
From wake-up to lights-out.
No two days are identical. This is the rhythm.
Wake up, breakfast together
Family-style at the kitchen table. Everyone eats. Coffee for the staff, sometimes for the seniors.
School begins
On-site instruction and credit recovery, IEP support, certified teachers. No bell schedule that feels like an institution.
Individual therapy block
Each resident has scheduled 1:1 time with their assigned therapist throughout the week.
Lunch
Together. The same way dinner is together. Sandwiches some days, leftovers others — the way a family eats.
School + group sessions
Academic block continues; group therapy and psychoeducation modules rotate weekly.
Recreation / outdoor time
Basketball, the gym, the backyard. Skills coaches and BHTs join in. The point is being a kid.
Family-style dinner
Set table, family-style serving, conversation. Phone-free. Birthdays celebrated here.
Homework, free time, calls home
Scheduled call time with approved contacts. Quiet activities, board games, individual reading.
Evening reflection
Brief group check-in with the overnight team. What worked today. What was hard. What tomorrow looks like.
Lights out
Phones charge in the office. The house quiets. Overnight staff on rounds.
The clinical model
Trauma-informed care that doesn't feel like treatment.
The CARF accreditation and DSS license aren't separate from the homelike feel — they're what make the homelike feel possible. Here's the clinical foundation.
Trauma-informed practice
Every staff member — clinical, educational, overnight — trained in trauma-responsive care. Not a buzzword. A practice.
Individual therapy
Each resident assigned a primary therapist. Weekly scheduled sessions, plus availability for acute moments.
Group therapy & psychoeducation
Weekly groups rotating through emotion regulation, social skills, healthy relationships, and identity.
Psychiatric assessment & medication management
Contracted psychiatry for assessment, medication review, and ongoing management as part of treatment planning.
Educational support
On-site instruction, certified teachers, credit recovery for behind-grade-level students, IEP coordination.
Family engagement
Family therapy where appropriate. Visit/call schedules. Reunification work when reunification is the plan.
School & education
School works because the rest of life works.
Our on-site instruction is provided by certified teachers in coordination with the resident's home district. Most residents arrive significantly behind grade level; most leave on track or close to it.
Credit recovery is structured into the school day. IEP support is coordinated with district teams. We take seniors on college tours. Donors fund that part.
Family connection
When reunification is the plan, we plan for it.
Visit schedules, phone and video access, family therapy sessions, and reunification work are individualized to the resident's case plan and clinical recommendation.
For residents whose families aren't available or aren't safe, our staff and alumni network become the long-term scaffolding. That doesn't end at discharge.
Recreation & enrichment
The things state contracts don't cover.
Outings. Sports leagues. Music. Summer trips. College tours. Prom. Birthdays. Graduation celebrations that look like actual graduation celebrations.
This is the part of HOC funded by donors. Specifically. Here's the math.
Discharge & graduation
Discharge planning starts at admission.
Every resident's discharge plan is reviewed monthly by the treatment team and family/case team. Successful discharge looks like a stable next placement, a kept connection to HOC, and follow-up that actually happens.
Our alumni network is the long ending. First semester support. First-apartment support. The next time things get hard, the call comes here.
Want to see it for yourself?
Families and referring professionals are welcome to schedule a tour. We'll show you everything except the residents.