Parent University

Throughout and after your son or daughter’s treatment at Rogers, parents and guardians are critical to a successful recovery. Whether your child is in treatment or transitioning back home and to the classroom, we recognize it can be a challenging time for the whole family. To help ease the transition and ensure you feel prepared to provide the right mental health support to your child, we offer Parent University. Our goal is to give families the best tools and education possible for a successful recovery.

When, where, and how often is Parent University held?

Parent University is held twice a month for several programs at our Oconomowoc, WI, locations—the length of each session varies. Depending on the treatment, parents are required or strongly encouraged to attend as many times as they are able.

What types of topics are discussed?

Members of the treatment teams will discuss subjects specific to the treatment your son or daughter is in. You will learn and discuss parenting strategies and guidelines that impact your child’s mental health recovery. Some examples include:

• Effectively communicating with your child, including validating, listening, being mindful, and emotion coaching
• Distinguishing between parenting styles and how they can impact behavior
• Behavior modification
• Understanding that kids need parents to do their best in order for kids to do their best
• Family symptom accommodation
• Parenting practices to avoid
• Identifying what’s important for children to be happy and successful in their recovery
• Thought challenging and other cognitive skills
• Knowing when it’s time to ask for more help

What support or tools will I get from Parent University?

Dependent on your child's care, parents will receive copies of the treatment teams’ presentations as well as supplementary handouts to guide you in better understanding the skills discussed.

What do our past patients’ parents say about Parent University?

“Parent University – Mary and Daniella – was outstanding. We learned so much and were immediately able to apply what we learned to our entire family. They empowered us. We met weekly with Mary Lee and she answered all emails immediately. She came up with individual ideas for treatment for our daughter and really listened to us.”

“At Rogers, my son found a group of peers who ‘got it.’ And, I found a group of parents through Parent University who understood the struggles of balancing other children, work, bad days, good days (would they last?). Even though these are most likely transient relationships, they gave validation and compassion (and sometimes just a hug and an ‘I understand’) to us as we walked this PHP/IOP road.”

What programs include Parent University as part of treatment?

Parent University is offered in our treatment for depression and other mood disorders, eating disorders, OCD and anxiety for children through age 12, and emotional dysregulation in female adolescents. Each Parent University is tailored to the specific treatment.

To learn more about Parent University for our depression and other mood disorders programs, hear Dr. Peggy Scallon, medical director of Focus Depression Recovery for adolescents in Oconomowoc, share more in our video blog. Note that for adolescents, depending on particular state laws, family involvement may depend on approval by the patient.