Frequently Asked Questions

Muir Wood operates residential treatment campuses across three California regions — Sonoma County, Fresno County, and Riverside County — with multiple home-like residences at each location, with locations in Sonoma County (30 miles north of San Francisco), Clovis (Central Valley near Fresno), and Riverside (Southern California). We also offer Intensive Outpatient Treatment in Petaluma, and soon, in Clovis. Learn more about Muir Wood’s treatment campus locations.

We maintain small, home-like residences with approximately 6 teens per home, connected to central daytime clinical and academic spaces, treating fewer than 100 teens at any one time across all locations state-wide. This small population allows us to provide intensive, personalized care in a home-like setting.

We are committed to maintaining a safe and comfortable environment. Each campus is organized by gender assigned at birth and two teens share a spacious, well-appointed room featuring high-quality bedding and linens, as well as ample closet and storage space. Our goal is to be a home away from home for the teens in our care.

The average stay is 45 days, though it may be shorter or longer depending on clinical recommendations, individual progress in treatment, and insurance authorization. Our team provides weekly progress updates and works collaboratively with families, professional referents, and home therapists to support successful outcomes.

Muir Wood’s adolescent-specific program emphasizes holistic healing, focusing on developing essential life skills, emotional resilience and self-regulation, and healthy coping strategies. We consider each teen’s specific developmental and psychosocial dimensions and build treatment plans around individual needs rather than purely prescriptive methods. We aim to empower every young individual to create a healthier, more fulfilling future. Finally, Muir Wood places considerable emphasis on including the client’s family in treatment. We understand that the chances of long-term recovery increase when the family is intimately involved with the child’s treatment.

Our team is led by Dr. Ian Wolds who serves as Chief Clinical Officer. He oversees our multi-disciplinary staff of adolescent psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), licensed therapists, chemical dependency counselors, registered nurses, and clinical support staff. Learn more about Muir Wood’s clinical leadership and staff.

Muir Wood specializes in treating teens struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, and other mental health challenges. Our comprehensive programs address both mental health and substance use disorders, with support through integrated treatment for co-occurring conditions. We carefully assess each teen to confirm whether our program matches their needs. Learn more about the conditions we treat.

Our structured daily schedule includes individual and group therapy, academic studies, life skills development, and therapeutic recreation. Teens participate in therapy sessions, attend academic support sessions, and enjoy experiential activities that bolster health and wellness in support of long-term recovery.

Our small program size allows multiple weekly therapy sessions, including individual, group, and family therapy. This allows teens to address sensitive underlying issues with their primary therapist.

These terms are often used interchangeably but have important distinctions. While inpatient treatment usually describes short-term, hospital-based care, residential treatment refers to care provided in a home-like setting where individuals live on-site during a treatment stay of 45 to 60 days, with some stays extending to 90 days. Residential treatment’s focus is on longer-term healing and personal growth. Learn more about residential vs. inpatient treatment.

Adolescent treatment requires a very different approach that focuses on “habilitation”, or teaching psychosocial skills, rather than rehabilitation. Teens need specialized support in developing healthy coping mechanisms, while adults often build on pre-existing recovery skills. Teen treatment also considers developmental differences and the high correlation between substance use and co-occurring mental health issues in adolescents. Treating teens requires a team of specialists trained in treating the unique mental health and substance use conditions that affect teens.

Absolutely. Every teen’s treatment at Muir Wood is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which ensures privacy. Just as medical records are protected with their physician at home, they are also protected at Muir Wood. Additionally, all Muir Wood residents, parents, and visitors sign a confidentiality agreement upon admission or arrival. Our privacy policy is available here.

Yes. Our residential communities are gender-organized, meaning they are organized by gender assigned at birth. We believe a thoughtfully composed peer environment can help many teens feel safer, speak more openly, and build the kind of peer connection that supports deeper engagement in treatment. Within that structure, every teen is respected and affirmed as an individual, including their name, pronouns, and gender identity. For transgender and gender-diverse teens, placement is considered individually and collaboratively with the teen, family, and referring provider before admission.

Teens are introduced to multiple recovery support pathways — including 12-Step, SMART Recovery, and other peer-based models — so they can explore what resonates with them developmentally and personally. Rather than prescribing a single recovery philosophy, we help teens build insight, coping skills, accountability, and a sustainable recovery plan.

All Muir Wood residents undergo multiple assessments by a psychiatrist, registered nurse, clinical director, and primary therapist upon admission and throughout treatment. Our multidisciplinary clinical assessment at admission includes nursing, psychiatric, and biopsychosocial evaluation. When clinically indicated, neuropsychological or psychological testing is available through trusted third-party providers. Muir Wood’s clinical team determines what testing is appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

The Muir Wood Learning Center, recognized as a supplemental learning program by the California Department of Education and WASC (the Western Association of Schools and Colleges), facilitates 2.5 hours of weekday instruction. Our teachers coordinate with the teen’s home school to maintain academic continuity, with parents acting as liaisons with schoolwork. Our goal is to support a frictionless transition back to school following treatment.

We view substance use and mental health challenges as circumstances that require whole-family healing. Family involvement is central to treatment and recovery at Muir Wood. Parents engage in weekly family therapy sessions, educational classes, and support groups, and receive regular updates on their teen’s progress. This provides support for both the individual teen and the family “system.” Learn about our Family Program here.

We offer comprehensive aftercare planning for teens and their families, including therapy referrals, support group connections, and connections with our alumni programs. In fact, Aftercare planning begins upon admission at Muir Wood. Our team helps monitor progress and checks in to address challenges that arise during the transition home. As an alumni family, both parents and teens (separately) are invited to weekly online groups where support is provided by a therapist and stories and challenges are exchanged and discussed. Read more about Aftercare here.

Muir Wood’s admissions team maintains real-time information about bed availability across all campuses. Please contact our admissions team directly for current availability. We prioritize prompt responses to help families with urgent placement needs.

Teens need ten days of comfortable clothes, outdoor shoes, and non-alcohol-based toiletries. While Muir Wood provides basic toiletries and linens, many teens like to bring their preferred personal care items and a few photos to display in their room. Please bring a CLEAR book/binder-sized TOTE bag (not a backpack) for their belongings. Electronic devices and valuables are not permitted in order to keep focus on treatment. For a complete list of dos and don’ts, please contact our admissions team.

Yes. Muir Wood is in-network with most major providers, including Anthem BC/BS, Aetna, Blue Cross of CA, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente, Magellan, MHN, TRICARE, Optum, and others. Our team will verify your benefits and secure pre-authorization for treatment. We also work with out-of-network providers through single-case agreements and provide comprehensive billing documentation to support insurance claims. Verify your insurance coverage to understand your benefits.