Who We Help

Get the Support That Fits With Your Child

Every adolescent and young adult has a different story. Some have been struggling with anxiety for years, while others experience a sudden change that leaves parents wondering what happened. Some are balancing school, work, and friendships while quietly feeling overwhelmed. Others have reached a point where everyday responsibilities no longer feel manageable.

Rather than focusing on a diagnosis alone, we look at how mental health is affecting your child’s daily life. This allows us to develop an individualized treatment plan that addresses both their immediate needs and their long-term goals.

Our programs are designed for adolescents and young adults who would benefit from structured support while continuing to live at home and remain connected to their family.

Our Mental Health Treatment Programs

Finding the right level of care is one of the most important decisions a family can make. While every treatment plan is personalized, our programs share the same goal: helping adolescents and young adults develop the skills, confidence, and stability needed to navigate everyday life more successfully.

Rather than asking families to fit into a predetermined program, we tailor treatment to each individual’s needs, progress, and goals.

Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Our Adolescent PHP provides the highest level of outpatient mental health support for teens who need more structure than weekly therapy or traditional outpatient care. Throughout the day, adolescents participate in evidence-based therapies while returning home each evening to remain connected with their family and support system.

Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Our Adolescent IOP offers a structured therapy schedule that allows teens to continue living at home while receiving multiple therapy sessions each week. This level of care helps adolescents strengthen coping skills, improve emotional regulation, and continue making progress while maintaining many of their regular routines.

Young Adult Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Young adulthood often brings increased independence alongside greater emotional and academic pressures. Our Young Adult PHP provides comprehensive therapeutic support for individuals who need a more structured environment while continuing to live at home.

Young Adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Our Young Adult IOP is designed for individuals who need consistent therapeutic support while balancing school, work, or other responsibilities. Treatment focuses on building emotional resilience, improving daily functioning, and helping young adults navigate life’s transitions with greater confidence.

No two individuals follow the same path through treatment. While the level of care may differ, every program at PRI Health is built on the same foundation: compassionate, evidence-based care that helps adolescents and young adults build practical skills for life beyond treatment.

Our Approach to Mental Health Treatment

No two adolescents or young adults experience mental health challenges in the same way. Even when two individuals share a similar diagnosis, their experiences, strengths, family dynamics, and treatment goals can be very different.

That’s why treatment at PRI Health begins with understanding the individual, not simply the symptoms they’re experiencing.

Our clinical team develops personalized treatment plans that address emotional, behavioral, academic, and social challenges while helping each participant build practical skills they can continue using long after treatment ends. As progress is made, treatment evolves alongside their needs, ensuring they continue receiving the appropriate level of support throughout their care.

Our evidence-based approach may include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps adolescents and young adults recognize unhelpful thought patterns, understand how those thoughts influence emotions and behaviors, and develop healthier ways of responding to everyday challenges.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT focuses on practical skills such as emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and healthy communication. These skills can be especially valuable for individuals who feel overwhelmed by intense emotions or have difficulty managing stressful situations.

Trauma-Informed Care

Past experiences can shape how a person responds to stress, relationships, and everyday life. Our trauma-informed approach creates a supportive environment where treatment recognizes those experiences while helping individuals move forward at a pace that feels safe and appropriate.

Individual, Group, and Family Therapy

Healing rarely happens in isolation.

Individual therapy provides space to explore personal challenges and goals, while group therapy helps participants build confidence, develop interpersonal skills, and recognize they are not alone in what they’re experiencing.

Family involvement is incorporated whenever appropriate because meaningful progress often continues outside the therapy room. Parents receive guidance, education, and support that helps reinforce the skills their child is learning throughout treatment.

What Families Can Expect

Beginning treatment can feel overwhelming, especially when you don’t know what the process looks like.

One of the questions we hear most often is simply:

“What happens after we call?”

While every treatment plan is individualized, families can generally expect the process to begin with a conversation about their child’s current challenges, previous treatment history, and goals for care. This helps our admissions team understand your situation, answer questions, and determine which level of support may be the most appropriate.

Once treatment begins, adolescents and young adults participate in a structured schedule that may include individual therapy, therapist-led group sessions, skill-building activities, and ongoing clinical support. Throughout treatment, our team regularly evaluates progress and adjusts the treatment plan as needed to reflect changing goals and clinical needs.

Parents are never expected to navigate this process alone. We believe communication is an important part of effective treatment, and when appropriate, families remain informed and involved throughout their child’s care.

Our goal is not simply to help someone feel better while they’re in treatment. It’s to help them develop the confidence, coping skills, and emotional resilience needed to succeed at home, in school, at work, and in everyday life after treatment has ended.

Why Families Choose PRI Health

Choosing a mental health treatment program is an important decision, and many families spend considerable time researching their options before reaching out.

At PRI Health, we believe trust is built through compassionate care, clear communication, and individualized treatment, not through making promises or taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Families choose PRI because we focus on helping adolescents and young adults build practical skills that support lasting emotional wellness while allowing them to remain connected to the people and routines that matter most.

Our programs provide:

Individualized Treatment Plans

Every participant receives care based on their unique needs, strengths, and goals rather than a standardized treatment approach.

Age-Specific Programming

Adolescents and young adults face different developmental challenges. Our programming reflects those differences to ensure treatment remains relevant and meaningful.

Structured Outpatient Care

PHP and IOP provide greater therapeutic support than traditional weekly therapy while allowing participants to continue living at home and maintaining important family connections.

Family Partnership

We view parents and caregivers as an important part of the treatment journey and strive to provide education, communication, and support throughout the process.

A Focus on Long-Term Success

Treatment is designed not only to reduce current symptoms but also to help adolescents and young adults build healthier routines, stronger coping skills, improved emotional regulation, and greater confidence for the future.

Finding the right program begins with understanding your options. Whether you’re exploring treatment for the first time or looking for the next step after weekly therapy, our team is here to help you make an informed decision that supports your child’s long-term well-being.

Testimonials

What our customers say about us.

Protected Roots Integrative Treatment Center deserves a review. As Care Solace assisted me in finding therapy sessions for my child, I came across Protected Roots Integrative Treatment Center. Dr. Warter and the entire team at Protected Roots helped me enormously in tough times to get assistance. Their flexibility, compassion, and professionalism were exceptional. My daughter has been attending sessions for about three months now, and she's enjoying them. Chloe, her therapist, is wonderful! My daughter enjoys meeting up with her every week. This place doesn't get enough credit for all they do! Keep up the good work, Protected Roots!

Claudia Perez

Our family is forever grateful to the entire team at Protected Roots, Integrative Treatment Center. The team created a customized treatment plan tailored to address all of the challenges our teenager and family as a whole were facing. [...] Each member of Protected Roots played a significant role in supporting our teen’s mental health recovery and improving the lives of each member of our family overall. Again, forever grateful!

Tim Wakefield

Dr. Kuo is exceedingly patient, witty and a great teacher.We thoroughly enjoy the sessions and respect her guidance. Very professional.

Yudell Reiz

Exceptional experience; extremely grateful for this group of clinicians.

Amber Schmitt

Proudly Serving Families Throughout San Diego County

PRI Health provides structured outpatient mental health treatment for adolescents and young adults throughout San Diego County. Families travel to our programs from communities across the region because they are looking for specialized care that provides more support than traditional weekly therapy while allowing their child to continue living at home.

We regularly work with families from:

San Diego
La Mesa
El Cajon
Chula Vista
Poway
Santee
Encinitas
Carlsbad
Oceanside
Escondido
Rancho Bernardo
Del Mar

Whether your family lives nearby or is exploring treatment options elsewhere in San Diego County, our admissions team can help determine whether PRI Health is the right fit for your child’s needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my child needs more than weekly therapy?

Every situation is different, but many families begin exploring a higher level of care when their child's mental health starts affecting school, work, relationships, or everyday responsibilities despite ongoing therapy. Our admissions team can help you understand whether additional structured support may be appropriate.

What is the difference between PHP and IOP?

Both programs provide structured outpatient mental health treatment, but they differ in the amount of therapeutic support provided.
A Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) offers the highest level of outpatient care with programming during the day, while an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) provides multiple therapy sessions each week with greater flexibility. During the admissions process, we'll help determine which program best fits your child's current needs.

Can my child continue living at home during treatment?

Yes. Both our PHP and IOP programs allow adolescents and young adults to return home each day. This allows participants to receive comprehensive therapeutic support while remaining connected to their family, school, and community.

Do parents participate in treatment?

When appropriate, family involvement is incorporated into treatment because parents and caregivers play an important role in supporting long-term progress. Our team provides guidance, communication, and opportunities for family participation throughout the treatment process.

What mental health concerns do you treat?

PRI Health works with adolescents and young adults experiencing a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, emotional regulation challenges, executive functioning difficulties, and other conditions that interfere with daily functioning. Every treatment plan is individualized to reflect each person's unique needs.

How do we get started?

The first step is speaking with our admissions team. We'll take time to learn more about your child's situation, answer your questions, discuss available treatment options, and verify your insurance benefits. If PRI Health is the right fit, we'll guide you through each step of the admissions process.

Every Family's Journey Starts With a Conversation

As a parent, it’s natural to wonder whether you’re making the right decision for your child. You may be asking yourself if what they’re experiencing is temporary, whether weekly therapy is enough, or if additional support could help them regain confidence and begin feeling like themselves again.
You don’t have to answer those questions on your own.

At PRI Health, we’re here to provide guidance. Not pressure. Whether you’re looking for information, exploring treatment options, or ready to begin the admissions process, our team is available to help you understand what comes next.

Together, we can determine the level of care that best supports your child’s needs and help your family move forward with greater clarity and confidence.