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Is Residential Treatment Right for Your Loved One?
Deciding when residential treatment is the right next step for your loved one facing mental health challenges can be difficult.
Residential treatment, such as that offered at the Austen Riggs Center, is designed for people who need more support than outpatient treatment provides, but who do not need inpatient or an acute hospital setting. Residential treatment offers longer-term, in-depth care with the goal of building a foundation for lasting recovery.
At Riggs, we believe that families play a vital role throughout the recovery process—often initiating conversations about seeking help, participating actively during treatment, and staying involved beyond a patient’s stay.
Many Riggs patients have already tried inpatient hospitalization, outpatient therapy, or residential programs. For some families, these options have already been thoroughly explored with their loved one. For others, the conversation is just beginning. If you’re starting that dialogue, helpful resources are available through organizations like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Online Information Series for Prospective Patients & Families
Choosing a residential psychiatric treatment program is a meaningful and often complex decision. These free online sessions are designed for individuals and families who are trying to figure out if residential treatment is the right choice. Our Director of Admissions and Director of Psychological Testing will walk you through how Austen Riggs works, who it tends to help most, and what the process of getting evaluated looks like.
How Does Residential Treatment Differ from Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment?
Inpatient care, often provided in hospitals, is typically for individuals in acute crisis who require a secure environment to ensure safety.
Outpatient treatment allows individuals to continue with work, school, or daily responsibilities while attending therapy or receiving medication management.
Residential treatment at Riggs offers a middle path: a structured, immersive environment for individuals who are not in immediate crisis but need more intensive support than outpatient care can provide. At Riggs, this includes a therapeutic community, 24/7 nursing care, clinical social work engagement, and intensive psychodynamic psychotherapy, all in a voluntary, open setting that includes a full continuum of care. Patients keep the same treatment team as they step down to lower levels of care, including day treatment. This continuity allows people to develop deepening treatment relationships where they are seen, heard, and understood as they move to more independent living situations.
Does Your Loved One Need a Residential Level of Care?
It can be difficult to know when outpatient therapy is no longer enough. A residential treatment program may be worth considering if your loved one is experiencing:
- Ongoing struggles with emotional regulation, relationships, or daily functioning despite outpatient treatment
- Repeated cycles of crisis or hospitalizations without lasting improvement
- Co-existing challenges such as trauma, mood instability, or substance use
- Difficulty managing school, work, or life transitions
- A lack of progress in understanding or addressing longstanding issues in therapy
- The need for a more immersive, structured, and supportive environment
At Riggs, our admissions process includes a comprehensive evaluation to help determine whether a residential level of care is the right next step.
How Families Can Support the Decision to Enter Residential Treatment
Talking to someone about entering residential treatment can be challenging. Here are some ways to approach the conversation:
- Lead with empathy. Acknowledge your loved one’s struggles. Let them know you’re on their side and want to help them move toward recovery.
- Be specific and honest. Share your observations about how current challenges are impacting their life and well-being.
- Frame treatment as an opportunity. Describe residential care as a chance to step away from everyday stressors and focus deeply on healing and self-understanding.
- Respect autonomy. Riggs is an open, voluntary program. Your loved one must choose this treatment for themselves. Invite them into the decision-making process rather than pushing them.
- Encourage them to speak with one of our admissions clinicians. Speaking with clinical staff can help your loved one better understand what Riggs offers and whether it feels like the right fit.
- Work with their current treatment team. A trusted therapist or psychiatrist can help assess the need for residential treatment and support your loved one in the decision-making process. If providers would like more information about Riggs, they can contact our admissions team directly at 800.517.4447 (Monday-Friday, 8:30-8:00 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 a.m-3:00 p.m. Eastern) or you can direct them to our Refer a Patient page.
Who Riggs Serves
Austen Riggs may be a good fit for individuals who:
- Are motivated to engage in treatment and personal growth
- Can commit to safety and active participation in an open, voluntary setting
- Would benefit from intensive individual psychotherapy, medication management, casework, family work, and group work in a supportive therapeutic community
- Are interested in learning about patterns of thinking and behavior that impact functioning
- Are open to feedback and reflection in a therapeutic community
We are not typically a fit for those who:
- Require a locked or involuntary setting
- Have active, problematic substance use or eating disorders as their primary challenge
- Are currently unable to participate in psychotherapy
Why Families Choose Riggs
- Open and Voluntary Setting
Riggs is an unlocked, open setting where patients choose to engage in their treatment. Patients are free to come and go and are expected to participate actively in their care. This autonomy is central to developing agency and self-direction. This autonomy is central to developing agency and self-direction. - Immersive Therapeutic Community
Our therapeutic community is designed to build a sense of belonging, enhance patient authority, and foster interpersonal learning in ways that can help address isolation and disconnection. - Intensive Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Four-times-weekly psychotherapy with a psychiatrist or psychologist forms the foundation of care, supported by 24/7 nursing care and a robust therapeutic community program. - Interdisciplinary Team Approach
Each patient works with a consistent team—including psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, nurses, and community staff—who meet twice weekly to coordinate care. This same team follows the patient from the first day of admission, through step-down programs, to discharge, providing consistency of care throughout the patient’s entire stay. - Family Involvement
Family members are invited to participate, with the patient’s consent, in treatment planning, family work, and ongoing communication with a clinical social worker. In addition, we offer biannual virtual multi-family education workshops designed to provide a forum for family members to learn more about Riggs, share experiences, ask questions, and develop a network of mutual support among other families.
What to Expect at Admission
- Admission Day
Includes a campus tour, admission consultation with admissions staff and clinical social workers, financial review, and initial conversations about treatment fit and family dynamics. - Initial Six-Week Evaluation
Includes a comprehensive psychological, psychiatric, and medical assessment, interviews with family members when appropriate, and full participation in the therapeutic milieu, culminating in a case conference, and treatment recommendations. Families are invited to actively participate throughout treatment (with the patient's authorization). - Duration of Stay
Many patients choose to remain at Riggs for several months beyond the initial six-week evaluation, depending on personal goals, clinical needs, and progress. At present, the median length of stay is approximately five months. 37% of admitted patients stay for one to three months, 42% stay for three to nine months, and 21% stay for nine months or longer (Admissions and discharge data, 1/1/20-10/21/25, n=360).
Is Riggs the Right Fit?
If you are unsure whether Austen Riggs is the best choice, we encourage you to speak with a member of our admissions team. We'll help you assess and, when needed, explore other appropriate options. Call us at 800.517.4447, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Learn More
- Family Work at Riggs
- Our Treatment Programs
- Admissions Process
- Former Patient Stories
- Treatment Outcomes
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Riggs different from other residential programs?
Riggs is a completely open and voluntary setting, grounded in intensive psychodynamic psychotherapy and supported by a therapeutic community. Each patient helps shape their own individualized treatment, in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.
Riggs is a completely open and voluntary setting, grounded in intensive psychodynamic psychotherapy and supported by a therapeutic community. Each patient helps shape their own individualized treatment, in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.
Does my loved one need a referral to be admitted?
No formal referral is required. Families, individuals, or current providers can contact us directly. Input from current providers is welcomed and often helpful in assessing fit.
How long is the typical stay at Riggs?
The initial six weeks include a comprehensive evaluation and treatment period. Many patients stay longer—typically several months—based on goals, progress, clinical needs, and other factors. At present, the median length of stay is approximately five months. 37% of admitted patients stay for one to three months, 42% stay for three to nine months, and 21% stay for nine months or longer (Admissions and discharge data, 1/1/20-10/21/25, n=360).
Will I be involved in my loved one’s treatment?
Yes—with the patient’s consent. Family involvement may include family work and ongoing contact with and support from a clinical social worker. Our approach values privacy while encouraging family engagement when helpful to the patient’s care. Read more about our approach to Family Work.
What does the admission day involve?
A full day of orientation, including a campus tour, consultation with clinical staff, and initial clinical conversations. Families are encouraged to participate.
Can my loved one leave the program at any time?
Yes. Riggs is a voluntary program in an open setting. Patients are free to leave, though we encourage thoughtful discussion with their treatment team before making any decisions.
How do I begin the admissions process?
Call us at 800.517.4447 or submit an inquiry online. Our admissions team is ready to answer your questions and guide you through the next steps.
Patient Outcomes and Results
"When I came to Riggs, after 40 hospitalizations, I was dying. The intensive psychotherapy was painful, difficult, and extraordinary. The therapeutic community let me see my problematic behavior reflected in my peers. I found my best self at Riggs." - Polly Schlitz, Former Patient
Former Patient Stories
Hear first-hand from Austen Riggs Center Alumni about their experiences before, during, and after treatment at Riggs.