Overhead image of Muir Wood Residences

Campuses and Facilities

Girls Campus Locations

Boys Campus Locations

Muir Wood offers teens a safe, nurturing environment within a beautiful homelike setting in Northern California’s Sonoma County. Each campus is a safe haven where they learn to manage difficult emotions, develop self-care and recovery skills, explore more effective ways of communicating and cultivate a sense of self.

Nestled in the heartland of California’s Sonoma Valley

Muir Wood is situated in one of the most naturally beautiful areas in America, offering a beautiful, tranquil and warm place to learn, heal, and grow.

The Muir Wood campus is situated on a ten acre parcel amidst rolling hills and verdant dairy pastures. Bordered by ranch land, the campus provides a tranquil and beautiful place for adolescents and families to live, grow, and heal. The vibrant Petaluma city center is less than a twenty minute drive from campus and provides visiting parents and families with a choice of world class hotels and restaurants.

Less than a half-hour drive from the Point Reyes National Seashore, Muir Wood clients are often accompanied on hiking trips and other adventures on the beautiful coast.

Surrounded by natural beauty

Spending time in nature is a fundamental part of the Muir Wood experiential program

Less than a half-hour drive from the Point Reyes National Seashore, Muir Wood clients are often accompanied on hiking trips and other adventures on the beautiful coast and surrounding areas.

Comfortable Accommodations & Lifestyle

Muir Wood completed a significant campus expansion in the summer of 2019 that added a second residence, clinical offices, playing fields, a state-of-the-art classroom, and beautiful walking trails that connect all campus buildings. The houses and grounds of the campus are modern, spacious, and well-appointed. They are also specially designed to adhere to the highest safety standards. Muir Wood is a comfortable place for teens to live while receiving treatment.

Muir Wood clients are kept appropriately busy throughout their day. However, plenty of time is allocated for relaxation, recreation, and reflection. The atmosphere is positive, relaxed, and friendly. Muir Wood is an enjoyable place for clients, clinicians, and parents to live, communicate, and do the important work of therapy, academics, and wellness.

Spacious and well-appointed bedrooms and bathrooms

Plenty of space to work, think, and relax

The Skillman North and Skillman South houses are designed for comfort and convenience. Each house accommodates up to eleven teens and include bed and bath suites, commercial-style kitchens, fitness facilities, group meeting rooms, common rooms, laundry facilities, nursing stations, and offices. Two teens share a spacious bedroom with comfortable bedding and a full bath. Houses feature game tables like ping-pong, fuzzball, board games, and televisions. Large glass doorways create light, airy spaces, and encourage time in fresh air on the houses’ large porches.

Recreation and activities

Having fun is an important part of therapy at Muir Wood

Recreation plays a central role in life at Muir Wood. Camaraderie and physical activity are important aspects of adolescent life. Learning to enjoy activities without free of the symptoms of mental health disorders or the sway of substances is an important and supportive skill. Every day, Muir Wood clients enjoy activities like soccer, flag football, basketball, boxing training, and more.

Delicious and nutritious food

Growing teens need lots of nutritious meals and snacks

Experienced chefs prepare three nutritious meals per day. Meals are times of enjoyment and community. Clients and staff often eat together. Healthy snacks and beverages are available throughout the day.

Academics

Muir Wood’s Learning Center is a recognized California supplemental education program for grades 7 to 12, including for physical education. Muir Wood is one of the only residential treatment centers nationally with an academic program that is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). 

Personalized academics maintain or improve educational progress

Education is part of adolescent identity. Muir Wood provides academic support tailored to each student’s needs.

Muir Wood clients have classwork every day in the Muir Wood classroom building. Here, licensed teachers and academic advisors assess individual student performance, evaluate needs, and design personalized curriculum. Muir Wood academic staff works with home shool districts to obtain academic transsscripts and curriculum, and transfers credits as possible. Multiple paths to continuing educational progress are available, including online high school services.

Coordinated Mental Healthcare

Coordinated Care

A Care Collective collaborating to provide individualized treatment

When experienced healthcare professionals collaborate to meet individual needs, outcomes improve. The talented doctors, therapists, and support staff of Muir Wood regularly review client cases and maintain a real-time understanding of client progress. Care plans are adjusted and new therapies introduced as needs are identified. This close coordination of care provides highly individualized treatment that increases the relevance, effectiveness, and comfort of each client and family treatment experience.

Psychiatry and medication management

Closely supervised psychopharmacology

Muir Wood provides experienced adolescent psychiatry. Our ability to provide full-time psychiatric care means more time can be spent assessing, counseling, and managing each client. Muir Wood psychiatrists may recommend the discontinuation of previously prescribed medicines, prescribe new medications, adjust dosages, and seek ways to reduce the usage of medications when possible. The use of medication is thoughtfully considered and carefully supervised.

Medical care

Muir Wood addresses all aspects of client care

Muir Wood cares for mind, body, and spirit. At Muir Wood, clients are seen by experienced doctors and registered nurses. Our medical team can perform tests, measure vital signs, provide first-aid, and refer clients to specialized care if necessary. Total mental and physical health is the goal of our programming.

Psychotherapy

Strong theraputic alliance for significant progress

The experienced psychotherapy team at Muir Wood uses evidence-based approaches to help adolescents and teens process trauma, learn skills to control stress and anxiety, and develop coping skills and resilience. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and other modalities can be tailored to client needs.

Family programming

Family is fundamental at Muir Wood. Parents and other family members are an integral part of treatment. Muir Wood provides family programming that includes therapy for family members and joint therapy sessions with parents and teens.

Support for families

At Muir Wood, family is fundamental

Muir Wood treats teens and family members. For many young people, family relationships and dynamics contribute to identity and well-being. We work to undertand the rol of families for teenagers, and to help parents and other loved ones to heal, and help them support healthy recovery. Parents are regularly involved with treatment. Muir Wood also helps family members find local family support groups and other mental health resources.

Making Exceptional Care Accessible

Muir Wood is accredited by the Joint Commission, America’s largest healthcare accrediting body

Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services is an in-network provider with Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, and Kaiser. The program’s ability to make its highly specialized and comprehensive adolescent mental healthcare available to millions of families covered by these insurances answers a crucial need. Muir Wood strives to innovate the field of adolescent mental health and to continuously integrate evidence-based treatments to offer more options for its clients and families.