Muir Wood Teen works with Optum Behavioral Health & UnitedHealthcare (UHC) — helping families access evidence-based adolescent mental health and substance use treatment with less financial stress.
Does Optum & United Healthcare Cover Teen Residential Treatment?
Optum Behavioral Health is one of the largest behavioral health management organizations in the country, administering mental health and substance use benefits for tens of millions of Americans. If your plan’s behavioral health benefits are managed by Optum/UHC, your teen may have coverage for residential treatment.
Optum manages behavioral health benefits for many major insurance carriers, including UnitedHealthcare. Muir Wood works with Optum and UHC to help families access residential treatment for their teens. Our admissions team will verify your benefits directly with Optum and clarify your family’s expected costs.
Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), insurers like Optum and UHC are required to cover mental health and substance use treatment at the same level as physical health conditions. This means residential treatment for your teen should be covered when deemed medically necessary.
Coverage varies by plan, but Optum policies commonly include benefits for:
- Residential mental health and dual-diagnosis treatment
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management
- Experiential therapies (art therapy, equine therapy, mindfulness, outdoor activities)
- Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) as a step-down from residential care
Why Families Choose Muir Wood for Optum/UHC-Covered Teen Treatment
Muir Wood is one of California’s leading adolescent behavioral health providers, offering gender-separate residential treatment programs for teens ages 12–17. We also offer Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) for teens who need structured support while living at home.
Some of our key differentiators include:
Specialists in Adolescent Care
Everything we do is built for teens ages 12–17, not adapted from adult models. Our team includes board-certified psychiatrists, highly trained therapists, nurses, educators, and recovery counselors who specialize exclusively in adolescent mental health and substance use treatment. Working as an integrated team, they deliver evidence-based, developmentally appropriate care tailored to each teen’s unique needs.
Community and Connection
Our program supports coordinated, therapist-led group therapy alongside meaningful peer interaction. Teens build trust, communication, and coping skills through shared therapeutic experiences and real-time practice. Individual therapy provides personalized support to deepen insight and help teens apply these skills beyond treatment, supporting lasting emotional growth and stability.
Expertise in Primary Mental Health + Substance Use
With expertise in treating both primary mental health and co-occurring substance use challenges, our trauma-informed approach helps teens heal deeply and build lasting change. We focus on the whole person—addressing both emotional wellbeing and underlying behavioral patterns—to support lifelong healing.
Support for the Whole Family
Healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens together. At Muir Wood, families stay actively involved through therapy, education, and a 16-week aftercare coaching program that builds trust, communication, and stability long after treatment ends. Our depth of experience working with adolescents and families allows us to anticipate challenges, guide meaningful change, and support progress well beyond discharge.
Accessible, High-Quality Care Covered by Insurance
Muir Wood is committed to removing financial barriers to care by partnering with most major insurance providers, ensuring families can access high-quality, evidence-based treatment when it matters most.
Maintain Academics While Getting Support
School stays the priority. Whether in residential treatment or IOP, teens can keep up to date with education. We help them map assignments, manage stress, and practice executive functioning skills such as planning, time management, and communication. When helpful, we coordinate with families and schools so gains in treatment carry into the classroom and daily routines.
Continuum of Care
We believe strong outcomes depend on continuity and collaboration. From admission through discharge, we coordinate closely with your teen’s existing providers and aftercare programs—whether that’s Muir Wood residential, our IOP, or another trusted outpatient partner. Shared clinical leadership and consistent therapeutic philosophy ensure each teen’s progress continues without interruption.
Speak With a Teen Treatment Specialist
Connect with our admissions team today to learn how Muir Wood can support your family.
We Work With Optum & UHC
Our admissions team handles the insurance process for you — verifying benefits, coordinating pre-authorization, and explaining expected costs — so you can focus on your teen’s health rather than paperwork.
Evidence-Based, Gender Separate Programs
Our clinical model treats addiction and behavioral health challenges as responses to underlying mental health issues — not the other way around. Boys and girls heal in separate campus environments with treatment plans tailored to gender-specific developmental needs.
Joint-Commission Accredited
Muir Wood holds Joint Commission accreditation and is licensed by both the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and the Department of Social Services (DSS). These credentials signal to Optum and UHC’s utilization review team that our programs meet nationally recognized standards of care.
Accreditations
Multiple California Programs and Locations
We operate campuses across the state so families can choose the setting that works best:
Northern California — Sonoma County
Lohrman Campus for Girls
Mental health and substance use care for teen girls on a tranquil Petaluma property within Sonoma County, surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills.
Skillman Campus for Boys
Dual-diagnosis treatment for teen boys—mental health and substance use care on a serene Petaluma property in lovely Sonoma County.
Fresno/Clovis — Central California
Makena Campus for Girls
Teen girls receive dual-diagnosis care for mental health and substance use challenges in Clovis—a tranquil foothill setting at the gateway to California’s majestic Sierra Nevada.
Arlington Heights Area — Southern California
Family-Centered Care & Academic Planning
Parents are actively involved in therapy and aftercare planning throughout your teen’s stay. Our on-site academic programs ensure teens stay on track with schoolwork, so treatment doesn’t mean falling behind.
How to Use Your Optum & UHC Insurance at Muir Wood
The process is straightforward, and our admissions team manages most of the insurance coordination for you.
- Step 1: Verify Your Benefits
Call our admissions team at 866-705-0828 or complete our online insurance verification form. We’ll contact Optum/UHC directly to confirm your teen’s benefits, including deductible status, co-insurance rates, and any plan-specific limitations. - Step 2: Pre-Admission Assessment and Authorization Process
Our admissions team conducts an initial assessment to determine the appropriate program for your teen. Most Optum & UHC plans will require authorization be requested once your teen has admitted. Some plans require authorization prior to scheduling admission. Our team will walk you through this process. - Step 3: Understand Your Costs
Before your teen begins treatment, we’ll walk you through a clear explanation of what Optum & UHC will cover, what your estimated out-of-pocket responsibility looks like, and any financing options available. - Step 4: Begin Treatment
Once authorized, your teen can start their residential program at Muir Wood. Our average length of stay is approximately 45 days, though Optum and/or UHC may approve longer stays when clinically indicated.
2 Simple Ways to Get Started Today
Speak With an
Admissions Coordinator
Verify Your
Insurance Coverage
Frequently Asked Questions About Optum/UHC and Teen Treatment
Yes. Muir Wood Teen Treatment works with Optum and UHC Behavioral Health, helping families access residential and outpatient treatment for teens with mental health and substance use challenges.
Coverage duration depends on Optum/UHC’s medical necessity criteria and your specific plan. Our team will coordinate with Optum/UHC regarding their assessment of medical necessity. We generally conduct weekly concurrent reviews with Optum/UHC to determine the continued length of covered care. Our team keeps you informed throughout this process.
Other Insurance We Accept
We work with many insurance providers to help families access teen treatment. See if yours is covered:
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Shield of California
- Cigna
- Kaiser Permanente
- MHN (Managed Health Network)
- Optum
- Simple Behavioral Health
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthcare
Don’t see your insurance? Call 866-705-0828 — we work with many additional providers.