What Is a Group Home?

What Is a Group Home?

Group homes provide therapy, 24-hour supervision, and support to people with complex health needs in a home-like setting. This approach is sometimes used to treat teens experiencing mental health or behavioral issues.

Unlike large residential treatment facilities or psychiatric hospitals, group homes serve a small number of teens. Residents live in a family-like setting with trained staff.

This article discusses how group homes work and signs that a teen may benefit from this type of treatment. It also explores some of the uses, advantages, and possible pitfalls of group homes for teens.

Signs a Teen Might Benefit from a Group Home

No parent wants to imagine having to place their child in a group home. But sometimes, a residential setting is the best place for a teen who needs intensive help.

Teens that may benefit from a group home setting include those who have:

• Co-occurring conditions that make treatment more complex
• Inadequate support at home
  
• Poor results from previous experiences in outpatient programs
• Safety concerns due to threats of violence, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts
• Repeated substance use relapse

A mental health professional may also recommend a group home if a teen has experienced severe mood or behavior changes or has disciplinary problems at school or in the community.

Group homes can also provide a transition from a higher level of residential care. After a short stay in a psychiatric hospital, or after being released from a juvenile detention facility, a teen may be moved to a group home to continue working on their goals. This process is known as deinstitutionalization.

Usually, a teen's goal is to eventually return home. The length of stay in a group home may vary between a month and several months (or perhaps even years).

How Group Homes Work

The daily schedule for group home residents is structured to include active participation in therapy, school, self-care, and learning activities. Clear rules and consequences are enforced by staff to create a safe environment that helps teens create positive changes.

While living in the group home, teens often earn privileges through a level system or token economy system. Teens who follow the rules will be granted access to more privileges, such as electronics time or opportunities to go on outings.

Teens living in a group home are actively involved in the day-to-day activities of the home, such as shopping and preparing meals, cleaning the house, and planning group activities. 

Within the context of living and learning together, the group home setting provides opportunities for teens to learn new skills. Staff provide ongoing coaching and look for teaching opportunities when problems arise. Teens may learn skills, from how to do laundry to how to manage their anger, in preparation for independent living. 

Uses of Group Homes

The treatment provided in a group home focuses primarily on improving self-esteem, teaching new skills, and holding teens accountable for their behavior. Some of the conditions or issues that may be addressed in a group home setting include:

• Abuse and trauma
• Anxiety
• Behavioral issues
• Criminal behavior or violence
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Mental disorders
• Poor self-esteem
• Social issues
• Substance use

Some group homes offer specialized treatment for specific issues, like autism or inappropriate sexual behavior.

Most group home programs include:

• Anger management
• Drug education
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Individualized behavior programs
  

Impact

Group homes offer a small therapeutic setting where each teen becomes well known to the staff. Each teen's individual needs can be addressed.

The home-like environment is comfortable and familiar and, in this setting, teens learn skills to get along with family members. With strong family support, a group home may be a good choice for many teens having emotional or behavioral problems.

Group homes are often good solutions for teens who need more support. While their teens are getting help, parents can learn new strategies for helping teens cope with the eventual return home.

More research is needed to better understand the efficacy of group homes for teens. In particular, further studies are needed to explore which treatment models may be most effective for specific problems that teens might be facing.

Potential Pitfalls

It can be difficult to get a health insurance company to cover the cost of living in a group home. Since they serve only a small number of teens, the costs can be quite high.

It can be difficult to find an available bed in a group home as well. Many of them have long waiting lists and quite often, it can be difficult to find a group home located within the teen's same school system.

Children and teens in foster care may be placed in a group home setting. This can be very restrictive in comparison to living with a foster family. And when a group home becomes a long-term placement, the rotation of staff can interfere with a child's ability to develop healthy attachments.