Chestnut's residential treatment is appropriate for young people who have been unable to maintain sobriety on an outpatient basis and require more intensive services to help prevent further damage to their physical and emotional health. When a young person is involved in residential treatment at Chestnut, a treatment plans is developed to fit individual needs. Length of stay varies depending on each client's individual needs and may range from 14 to 90 days. Some clients in our specialized unit may remain in treatment up to six months. Young people in residential treatment participate in individual, family, and group counseling, skills, goals and self-help groups, and in recreational therapy. In order not to disrupt their education, McLean County Unit #5 School District provides certified teachers and accredited educational opportunities for Chestnut's residential clients. Young people who meet GED criteria have the opportunity to pursue their GED.

Chestnut's program operates on a comprehensive group treatment approach. This approach is based on a plan that uses positive peer influences, with young people earning more privileges as they develop a relationship of trust and demonstrate an increasing investment in recovery. As young people progress in treatment they get promoted from sophomores, to juniors and finally to seniors. Each class rank brings with it additional privileges and responsibilities.

Our residential setting is broken into three units - one for males, one for females, and a specialized unit for youth with distinctive needs. These teens may have had multiple failed attempts at chemical dependency treatment, are more severely addicted, have multiple problems such as behavioral disorders and learning disabilities, or are more heavily involved in the criminal justice system. The specialized unit provides young people with severe problems the special attention and longer treatment stays they require to achieve successful recovery.

Following successful discharge from residential treatment, Chestnut Health Systems' treatment team will arrange a comprehensive continuing care program. This plan may include involvement in a Chestnut outpatient group or a group in the young person's home community. The plan will also include recommendations and contacts for community support groups and referral to assistance programs within schools when appropriate.