Guides for families
These pages explain how the directory search works, what program levels of care usually mean, and questions you can ask when you call. Nothing here is medical advice or emergency care—always confirm details with each program.
How to search this directory
Type naturally — we read city, level of care, and age from your words. Open More filters on the home page for insurance and other options.
- Location: Plano, Dallas, Frisco (includes nearby counties and telehealth when listed)
- Care level: PHP, IOP, outpatient, partial hospitalization, day treatment, residential
- Age:
14,13 and up,16 year old - Insurance: any listed plan —
accepts Cigna,BCBS,UHC,BHS,Medicaid,sliding scale - Crisis: type crisis support or use the preset or “Show crisis resources” chip
Try an example on the home page:
Use the search box on the main page with phrases like “IOP in Plano”, “PHP for age 14”, or “virtual therapy”.
Understanding levels of care
Programs use different names, and services vary. These descriptions are general starting points. Confirm details directly with each program.
Outpatient
Regular mental health appointments such as therapy, counseling, psychiatry, medication management, psychological evaluation, or safety planning. In standard outpatient care, youth usually leave the same day after the appointment.
IOP — Intensive Outpatient
More structured than standard weekly outpatient therapy. Youth generally live at home while attending treatment multiple days per week.
PHP — Partial Hospitalization / Day Program
Structured daytime treatment. Usually more intensive than IOP. Youth typically attend during the day and return home afterward.
Inpatient
Short-term 24-hour hospital-based care for acute safety concerns, stabilization, severe symptoms, or close monitoring. Many acute stays are around a week, but length of stay varies.
Residential
Live-in treatment setting where the youth temporarily lives at the program. Usually longer-term than inpatient hospitalization, often weeks to months or longer depending on clinical needs and program type.
Care Navigation
Help understanding options, finding possible programs, and preparing questions. Not diagnosis, treatment, or emergency care.
Questions to ask programs about level of care
- What level of care do you provide?
- Do you offer assessments or intake screenings?
- How often does the program meet?
- Does the youth return home each day?
- Is this hospital-based, outpatient, or live-in care?
- How long do families usually participate?
- What happens if symptoms worsen?
- How is family involved?
This information is general and may vary by program. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or emergency care. Confirm details directly with each program. If someone is in immediate physical danger, call 911. For suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, substance-use crisis, or mental health crisis, call or text 988.
What to ask when you call
You do not need to have everything figured out before calling. These questions can help you compare options.
- Are you accepting new children or adolescents?
- What ages do you serve?
- What levels of care do you offer?
- Do you offer outpatient, IOP, PHP, inpatient, residential, or care navigation?
- Do you accept my insurance?
- Is prior authorization required?
- What is the intake process?
- How soon could an intake happen?
- What is the program schedule?
- Is this standard outpatient, intensive outpatient, day treatment, hospital-based care, or live-in treatment?
- Is family involvement included?
- Do you provide medication management?
- Do you support co-occurring substance-use concerns?
- Do you support eating-disorder concerns?
- What happens if symptoms worsen after hours?
- What costs should we expect?
- What should we bring or prepare before intake?
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