The Children and Teenagers Foundation, Inc.

When your child is hurting, whether it’s emotional struggles, trauma or substance use, it can feel like there’s nowhere to turn .The Children and Teenagers Foundation in Decatur, Georgia, exists for moments exactly like that. It’s not far from some local attractions like Bobbs Creek Trail.

Their team specializes in outpatient mental health and addiction services that are all specifically tailored for young people. But they also extend care to adults, seniors and families in crisis. Right now all services are only offered through telehealth. But this gives families more flexibility and privacy during tough sessions.

Youth-Focused Support That Goes Deeper Than Behavior

This isn’t a quick fix kind of place. Children and Teenagers take time to do full mental health and substance use assessments before recommending a treatment path. Whether your child is dealing with PTSD, emotional disturbance of experimenting with substances the team here looks at the whole picture. They use trauma-informed therapy and behavior modification techniques. But they also involve the family in that healing process. I honestly wish more places like this would kind of focus on the root cause instead of just reacting to behavior.

And while they work with court-referred youth and young adults, nothing about their approach feels cold or clinical. The staff includes family therapists, nurses and even bachelors level family consultants. They all work under the leadership of Betsy Miller. There's heart in the training here and it shows.

A Safety Net for Families in Crisis

I really appreciate that the Children and Teenagers Foundation offers case management and emergency walk-ins. I think it’s even better that they accept Medicaid. But they also accept private insurance and even sliding scale options. They meet people where they really are, financially and emotionally.