Pediatric Behavioral Health: CASTLE Program
Helping children, young adults, and families navigate emotional and behavioral challenges with expert care in South Jersey.
Virtua’s pediatric behavioral health team is committed to helping children, adolescents, and young adults understand and cope with the challenges in their lives.
The Virtua CASTLE (Children Achieving Success Through Therapeutic Life Experiences) program provides comprehensive mental health support for young people ages 3 to 25 in South Jersey. Our team specializes in treating and managing ADHD, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders, trauma disorders, mood disorders, and school-based behavioral challenges.
If you or someone you know is experiencing severe symptoms, feeling overwhelmed, and believes it’s not safe to wait for an appointment with a medical professional, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or go directly to your local emergency room.
Our Approach to Pediatric Behavioral Health
When your child is struggling with emotional or behavioral issues at home or in school, it affects the whole family. Whether you're dealing with a new diagnosis, school-related outbursts, or social-emotional hurdles, Virtua’s CASTLE program is here to help.
We provide a safe, nurturing environment where children, teens, and young adults can find their footing and families can find peace of mind.
Is your child struggling?
It isn't always easy to know when your child needs support from mental or behavioral health specialists. You may notice:
- Frequent calls from teachers regarding classroom behavior
- Difficulty managing emotions or frequent 'meltdowns'
- Withdrawal from friends, family, or activities they once loved
- Significant changes in sleep, appetite, or academic performance
- Behavioral challenges related to ADHD, anxiety, or mood disorders
Our team specializes in identifying the root causes of these challenges and personalizing plans to help your child at home and school.
How to Get Started With the CASTLE Program
- Call us: Talk to our intake coordinator, who collects information about your child and learns more about their life.
- Evaluation: We'll schedule your child for a psychiatric evaluation to determine admission to the program and the level of care needed.
- Planning: We personalize our evidence-based treatment plans to your child's needs, which are determined and provided by our team of behavioral and mental health experts, including:
- Child psychiatrists
- Psychiatric advanced nurse practitioners
- Licensed counselors and social workers
- Mental health counselors
Partnering with your child's school
The CASTLE program bridges the gap between your child's treatment and classroom education. We provide:
- Academic support: Keeping students on track with their studies during intensive treatment and helping them successfully reintegrate into their school after completion.
- Collaboration: Working with you and your child to develop individual plans for school that support both their mental health and academic goals.
- Summer programming: Continued care over summer months to keep students on course and prepare them for the transition back to school in the fall.
- Transition planning: Supporting young adults up to age 25 through life transitions, including managing social isolation, relationship challenges, job or academic stressors, and social media/online engagement.
Our mission is to help your child improve in areas where they struggle, so they can feel successful in school, at home, and in life.
Pediatric Behavioral Health Conditions and Treatments
Conditions We Treat
The CASTLE Program treats the following conditions:
- Aggressive behaviors
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Emotional problems, including those resulting from abuse, divorce, abandonment, or other life stressors
- Mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder
- Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
- Suicidal thoughts or self-harming behaviors
Treatment Programs
The CASTLE program offers three unique levels of care in safe, secure settings. This includes:
Outpatient program
Children and young adults in this long-term program meet with a clinician about once a week for individual and/or family therapy to identify and address issues related to home, school, and social situations.
Evening partial hospitalization program/after-school program
Children can attend this program and receive comprehensive mental health services during the academic school year. This program operates after their regular school day.
Partial hospitalization program
Kids and teens attend this full-day program during typical school days/hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). They receive intensive therapeutic services and academic instruction in a nurturing and supportive atmosphere.
Comprehensive care and support
To help you and your child understand and cope with challenges, our programs provide:
- Individual psychotherapy, including trauma-informed care
- Family therapy/education
- Group therapy
- Psychiatric evaluation
- Medication therapy
- Behavior modification system
- Academic programs
We offer some therapies in-person and via telehealth.
CASTLE Pediatric Behavioral Health Program Locations
Virtua’s CASTLE programs provide high-quality diagnosis and treatment to meet the mental, behavioral, and emotional needs of children, teens, and young adults.
The Virtua Difference for Pediatric Behavioral Health Care
Experience matters
The CASTLE program has been a trusted provider of behavioral and mental health services for kids and teens for more than 25 years, and more than 1/3 of new patient referrals come from former patients and their families.
Experience matters
The CASTLE program has been a trusted provider of behavioral and mental health services for kids and teens for more than 25 years, and more than 1/3 of new patient referrals come from former patients and their families.
Affordable, accessible care
The CASTLE program accepts Medicaid and private insurance. We offer door-to-door transportation for eligible participants and provide meals and snacks daily.
Affordable, accessible care
The CASTLE program accepts Medicaid and private insurance. We offer door-to-door transportation for eligible participants and provide meals and snacks daily.
Safety always comes first
Our mental health providers are trained and certified to de-escalate and manage challenging behaviors to keep all patients and staff safe.
Safety always comes first
Our mental health providers are trained and certified to de-escalate and manage challenging behaviors to keep all patients and staff safe.