- Joint Commission accredited
- Two AZ centers
- Ages 12 to 17
- Admissions 24/7
Residential treatment for teen anger issues serving Lake Havasu City, AZ.
When a Lake Havasu City teen's anger runs the household, the nearest licensed residential care sits in the Phoenix metro, and we make the distance workable. Nexus Teen Academy treats teen anger issues at two gender-specific homes north of Phoenix, with phone and video sessions that keep river-town parents involved from the first week.
- Free & confidential · No obligation · (480) 485-3424
- 4.7 Google · 37 reviews
- AZDHS-licensed residential facility
- Most major private insurance accepted
- Free consultation
- Counselor online now
Calling from Lake Havasu City, the Island, or elsewhere in Mohave County? Leave a number and a licensed admissions counselor will call you back, usually within minutes, to talk through whether residential care fits, what your insurance covers, and how the first step works. No pressure.
- It's now where you are · typical callback under 10 minutes.
- Secure, private, and HIPAA-protected. By submitting you agree to be contacted about care; message/data rates may apply.
- 4.7 Google · 37 reviews
- Joint Commission accredited
Every credential is independently verifiable. Joint Commission · AZDHS registry · LegitScript.


Joint Commission accreditedAZDHS-licensed · LegitScript certifiedAbout Nexus Teen Academy
Residential anger treatment for Lake Havasu City families, with the miles planned around.
Nexus Teen Academy is a licensed, Joint Commission-accredited residential program treating teen anger issues for families in Lake Havasu City and across Mohave County. Live-in care sits between a weekly therapist and a hospital, made for the teen whose explosive, frequent, or unsafe anger now runs the house. We treat those blow-ups alongside the trauma, ADHD, depression, or substance use that often feeds them, ages 12 to 17. Boys live in North Scottsdale and girls in Cave Creek, roughly a three and a half hour drive southeast on US-93 from the Colorado River.
Two separate homes north of Phoenix, boys in North Scottsdale and girls in Cave Creek, keep each group small and each day steady. Care is clinician-led, AZDHS-licensed, Joint Commission accredited, and LegitScript certified, with awake staff overnight.
Nexus Teen Academy provides residential treatment for teen anger issues for families from Lake Havasu City, Arizona, for ages 12 to 17. Teens live in a licensed home in North Scottsdale (boys) or Cave Creek (girls) with daily therapy, accredited school on site, and weekly family therapy. Most stay 30 to 60 days, and the team works with AHCCCS and most private insurance.
North Scottsdale
Boys, 12 to 17 · Phoenix metro
Cave Creek
Girls, 12 to 17 · Phoenix metro
Accredited Phoenix-area centers
Ages we treat, gender-separate
Awake clinical staff, every hour
A primary therapist, by name
Secure form · About 2 minutes · Free, no obligation
Our admissions team will reach out to you soon. Here’s what happens next:
- An admissions counselor contacts you, free and confidential
- If you asked about coverage, we check your benefits with your insurer
- You get honest answers and clear next steps, with no obligation
Where residential care fits: IOP, PHP or residential
The subacute level between weekly therapy and a hospital bed.
Therapy once or a few times a week. Your teen stays home and at school.
Live-in clinical care with 24/7 awake staff, daily therapy, and accredited school, in a real home.
You are hereShort-term acute stabilization for immediate medical or safety crisis.
| Question | Intensive outpatient (IOP) | Partial hospitalization (PHP) | Residential (RTC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | A step down from PHP, or a starting point for teens who need more than weekly therapy | A step down from residential care, or a starting point for teens who need structure without 24/7 care | Teens who need 24/7 care in a safe, immersive setting |
| Where your teen sleeps | At home | At home each evening | A licensed, home-like residence with 24/7 awake staff |
| Weekly schedule | About 4 hours a day (10:30 to 2:30 or 1:00 to 5:00), 3 to 4 days a week | Several days a week, multiple hours a day | Daily therapy, with care around the clock |
| Typical length | 30 to 90+ days | 30 to 90 days | 30 to 60 days |
| School | Stays in school; IOP is therapy-focused, with no academic support | Daily schoolwork time in a classroom, with educators on staff | Accredited, credit-bearing classes on site |
| Family | Weekly individual therapy and family counseling every other week | Family therapy sessions included | Weekly family therapy, in person or by secure video |
IOP and PHP run at NexStep Teen Academy, the Nexus outpatient program in Scottsdale for teens ages 12 to 17.
Not sure which level your teen needs? A licensed counselor will walk through it with you on the phone, free, and tell you honestly if a lower level of care is the better fit.
Speak with our admissions teamThe program
What Lake Havasu City parents can expect from our anger treatment program.
Skills for the second the anger detonates, treatment for whatever is fueling it, and coaching so the family responds differently. Every Lake Havasu City admission receives each piece below, reviewed weekly against the real episodes instead of a fixed timetable.
Clinical evaluation
A clinical interview with input from parents and school, screening for trauma, depression, ADHD, intermittent explosive patterns, and substance use before any plan is set.
Trigger and episode tracking
Staff record what happened before, during, and after each outburst, so the plan works on the triggers instead of only the aftermath.
CBT for anger control
Spotting the first physical signs of anger, cooling down, self-talk, and problem-solving, rehearsed until they hold when the pressure is real.
Emotion-regulation skills groups
Emotion regulation and distress tolerance practiced daily with peers, for the teen who goes from calm to explosive in seconds.
Family therapy and parent coaching
Weekly family sessions on de-escalation at home: what to say mid-episode, what to hold, and how the household repairs afterward.
Medication for what sits underneath
No medication treats anger by itself. The psychiatric nurse practitioner treats co-occurring ADHD, depression, or anxiety, only with your consent.
Accredited academics
School continues on-site with transferable credit, where classroom frustration gets coached in the moment instead of written up.
Discharge and re-entry plan
Early warning signs, the family response to each, an outpatient therapist booked near home, and a staged return to your teen's own school.
- Dual-diagnosis care: anger, trauma, ADHD, depression & substance use, treated together
Dual-diagnosis care
What actually sits under the anger: the conditions we treat at the same time.
Anger is a signal, not a diagnosis in itself. Most teens from the western river region who reach residential care are carrying something under the outbursts, often trauma, ADHD, depression that surfaces as irritability, or an impulse-control struggle.
Punishing the temper while leaving its source untouched is how families end up cycling through programs. Here a single team treats the anger and its driver on one plan, in one home north of the Valley, with nothing farmed out elsewhere.
Primary focus
Teen anger and aggression
Teen anxiety treatment
The alarm that never switches off.
Teen substance abuse treatment
Self-medication that took over.
Teen self-harm treatment
Safety-planned and monitored.
Safety firstTeen ADHD treatment
Focus, impulse control, school.
Teen suicidal ideation treatment
Assessed daily, never left alone.
Safety firstTeen depression treatment
Withdrawal and mood collapse.
Teen bipolar disorder treatment
Mood swings that need a diagnosis.
Teen behavioral issues treatment
Defiance, aggression, running.
Teen trauma & PTSD treatment
Flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance.
Teen ODD treatment
Arguing, defiance, constant conflict.
- Whatever your teen is facing, care stays coordinated in one integrated plan, one clinical team, and one residential setting.
The setting
A look inside the two homes that serve Lake Havasu City teens.
Two houses on the calmer north edge of the Valley, built to read as residential rather than clinical: predictable routines, open sightlines, and awake staff overnight. Structure that lowers the temperature in a room, with none of the boot-camp theater.
Take a self-guided 3D walkthrough of the home
Life inside
How a day takes shape in residential care.
The schedule carries a lot of the load. A day that runs the same way, handled the same way by every adult, removes the surprises and last-minute changes that used to touch off the worst fights back home.
-
MorningHygiene, meds & breakfast
Hygiene and meds from 6:30 to 7:30, then breakfast from 7:30 to 8:00.
-
MorningGratitude journal & education
A gratitude journal from 8:00 to 8:20, then education from 8:30 to 10:45 and a snack at 10:45.
-
MorningGroup therapy & lunch
Group therapy from 11:00 to 12:00, then lunch and mindfulness from 12:00 to 1:00.
-
AfternoonGroup therapy
Group therapy from 2:00 to 3:00, a snack at 3:00, then group therapy again from 3:15 to 4:00.
-
AfternoonMovement, dinner & evening activity
Movement with nursing from 4:15 to 5:00, dinner at 5:00, then evening activity and meds from 6:00 to 7:00.
-
EveningFree time & lights out
Free time from 7:00 to 8:30, evening hygiene from 8:30 to 9:00, gratitude journal at 9:00 and lights out at 9:30.
Weekends run differently
Saturday and Sunday follow a lighter routine than the weekday schedule above.
Click here for a free consultationTap to call (480) 485-3424 and our admissions team will walk you through a full weekend. Someone answers any time.Awake clinical staff are on-site every hour, including overnight, at both Arizona centers.
How healing happens
Anger-control skills, trauma care, and family work: what the evidence supports for teen anger.
Explosive anger settles fastest when skills practice and treatment for the root cause run side by side, every day. A residential week gives the repetition and in-the-moment coaching that one outpatient hour a week never could.
Core therapies
1
CBT for anger control
Catching the first physical signs, cooling down, self-talk, and problem-solving, rehearsed until they hold when the pressure is real.
Helps withtrigger spottingcool-downs2
Emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance skills
Daily group practice in riding out the surge without acting on it, for the teen who goes from calm to explosive in seconds.
Helps withemotion regulationimpulse control3
Trauma-focused CBT
When the rage grows out of trauma, the trauma is treated directly instead of the temper simply being punished.
Helps withfight responsesafety first
Supporting care, running alongside
Family therapy and parent coaching
Weekly sessions on de-escalation at home: what to say mid-episode, what to hold, and how the household repairs afterward.
de-escalationhome repairMotivational interviewing
Meeting a defensive teen where they are, so change starts to feel like their idea rather than another rule imposed on them.
buy-inless resistanceEquine and experiential
Equine sessions, movement, and outdoor time give the energy that used to fuel conflict a structured, physical outlet.
equine Fridayshealthy outlets
Your teen's clinical team
Meet our licensed clinical team.
Each teen is matched with a named, licensed clinician, and the prescriber and house staff are named as well. Every Arizona credential listed below is open for you to verify.
LPC, BC-TMHHannah Carr-Unquera
Executive Director
Leads the clinical program across both homes, licensed in Arizona and board certified in telemental health.
LCSW, DSWDr. Tyler White
Director of Adolescent Clinical Services
Sets the treatment plan each resident’s team works to, and supervises the clinicians who deliver it.
DNP, PMHNP-BCAlexandria Penner
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Runs psychiatric evaluation and medication management on-site, so prescribing stays inside the house.
House teamAshley Daniels
Director of Family Services & Education
Runs family services and education across both homes, after directing theatre and teen programs and building liberal-arts residential summer camps for Mount Holyoke College and Bryn Mawr College.
House teamJennifer Inderberg
Education Supervisor
Twenty-five years in education, supervising the accredited school that runs inside each house and the credit transfers back to your district.
House teamMelissa Stockmar
Director of Food Operations
Leads the kitchen team behind the chef-prepared meals, and runs the cooking group where residents learn to feed themselves.
Arizona-licensed clinical team.Every Nexus Teen Academy clinician is licensed in Arizona. Verify any license on the AZ Board of Behavioral Health Examiners directory.
What families say
What Arizona families say about their experience with Nexus Teen Academy
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Carol TrombinoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Nexus Academy was a wonderful place for my daughter. The staff were amazing and so supportive. They worked with our entire family. Highly recommend Nexus.![]()
Hemella SweattTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Sending your child or teen to a residential treatment facility is a difficult and heart-wrenching decision. The team at Nexus Teen Academy was exceptional. Our daughter's therapist was a great fit for her and played a significant role in helping us grow as a family. Family therapy is a crucial part of your child's recovery, and Nexus does an excellent job of involving the family in the healing process. We are grateful for their support in guiding our daughter toward a path of recovery.![]()
S HTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
The program at Nexus was a lifesaver for my 15-year-old daughter. After a tough year in and out of different levels of care, my husband and I had truly hit a breaking point and knew a residential facility was needed, but we were adamant about finding a place that was safe, respectful, and loving for our daughter. The entire team at Nexus was caring and engaged from day one, despite my daughter NOT making that easy for the first couple of weeks. There were definitely days in the beginning where we wondered if this was even working, but the team encouraged my husband and me to stay the course, and thank goodness we did. After completing Nexus residential and PHP programs, our daughter has done a complete 180. Her mental health struggles aren't 'magically gone' - but she has learned not to let them control her and our family dynamic is leagues better than where we started. Maybe the craziest part of this whole experience was when she recently acknowledged that she was really struggling before and thanked me for sending her to the program - I almost fainted. All this to say, I can't recommend the team at Nexus enough to any family with a teen who is going through a hard time.![]()
Amanda HayesTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Our 12 year old attended Nexus in summer of 2025. I opted for this location due to the reviews from other parents regarding similarly aged children. It's a whole different ballgame when a parent is trying to figure out what is best for their tween, knowing they will have exposure to older teenagers and older problems. That sad, Nexus is such a cohesive program. Our experience has been nothing short of wonderful, given the impossible circumstanes. All staff seems to be personally invested in each child's recovery and wellbeing. Our child left Nexus in a much more healed state than when they went in. I was so nervous about taking this huge step after poor hospital experiences and previous PHP's not being as helpful as we hoped. The staff is on top of relational dynamics in the house, and there is some separation between the younger residents and older ones, while still promoting overall cohesiveness. I feel they did a tremendous job supporting our 12 year old developmentally, bringing out a sense of childhood again. They also masterfully navigated our complicated family dynamic, going above and beyond to ensure our child's needs were met, the program requirements were met, in alignment with our family's needs. In a way, our child's time away at Nexus brought them back to us in a way we hadn't seen in a long time. I am so grateful. The PHP program, as well, is top notch and operates from heart. I would recommend both Nexus RTC and their PHP program to any parent in a similar situation. I have offered to connect with any parent in a similar place, so feel free to inquire about connecting with the staff. I know how terrifying this all is, and while we're not totally out of the woods, our child is currently attending school full time again with 2 evening therapy sessions each week. I attribute this assimilation into developmentally typical structure entirely to the care and support we all received from Nexus staff, from intake to therapy to medical and everyone else involved. Thank you, nexus, for helping our child- and our family- in our healing. I am forever grateful.![]()
AlishaTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
When we realized we needed a place for our teen to go longer term it was one of the hardest, scariest things I have been through as a mother. Nexus really made it easier and not quite so scary. They have a really caring staff, the kids love the staff. They truly care about your child, it’s not just another kid in and out of their house. I felt like our family was important and they were focused on what my child needed to help her through this difficult time. There was a lot of ups and downs with this process and we had some really hard times and conversations but the staff was always there to help guide us. I would truly say if you are struggling and your teen needs residential Nexus is an amazing place for treatment. The house is beautiful and it is truly comfortable for the kids. I would definitely recommend Nexus.![]()
Vanessa AnayaTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I would like to share that we had a great experience at Nexus Teen Academy. All of the staff is great with communication and assisted us through the process. I am very grateful for all of the resources, help and treatment for my teen throughout their stay. The have an amazing team and would recommend to anyone who needs the help.![]()
Sean HayesTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I highly recommend Nexus Teen Academy. The structure, support, and care they provided made a significant impact on my child, and it was also maintainable post-residency. During the residency, I attended a parent group led by the therapists who worked with the kids; where we learned critical skills and distinctions which helped with life afterward. It was also great to be in contact with other parents during this time, and the parenting group was great for this.![]()
Zane BedfordTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Four years ago at the age of 13 my daughter completely stopped participating in school and started to display symptoms of major depression anxiety and an unknown mood disorder.Her attendance at school was greatly impacted in such a way that attending once or twice a week became standard until the age of 16.Alcohol addiction and juvenile legal troubles followed and became common issues up until the moment my daughter entered into Nexus Teen Academy.To be completely honest as a completely broken single parent,after trying many attempts at therapy/medications I had lost hope and had given up on expecting anything could fix the crisis we had been living in for the last for years. Nexus Academy changed my perspective, my daughter completed 33 days and for the first time in years I saw the spark and light come back to her eyes and soul.She left Nexus displaying insight and a desire to get back on track with her education. With all professions , one will find flaws and opportunities for improvement .I believe Nexus understands this and showed an openess to suggestions and constructive criticism.![]()
lily hendersonTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Nexus was a life changing experience. I went in at 17 and experienced my 18th in there, to which the staff and residents all made sure I felt special. My goals were formed around gaining a better sense of self identity, self respect, and healing myself from the inside out. All of which happened in ways I never expected. I was shown how healthy communication, empathy in your home life, and phone-free relationships, all shape you as a person. Each and every one of the staff and administrators at Nexus are solely devoted to the children’s lives and well being. If there was ever an issue, i felt confident to go to them about it and it was swiftly handled. It was one of the most difficult goodbyes I have ever experienced in my life, as I grew family-life bonds with every person there. Thank you all!!!!! I appreciate every way you showed up for me and how you supported me in my stay. I will carry this experience with me forever.![]()
Jasmine CarterTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
My daughter was referred here after her various visits to psychiatric hospitals.I was so scared to be apart from my child but Nexus made me feel better about my decision because of their loving and welcoming environment. I love everything about this place, they really love the kids and support parents along the way. I appreciate everyone that loved and supported my child while she was at her lowest. I recommend this place to anyone that may feel like they have tried all they can and they do not know what to do next because Nexus will help you with the next steps in your journey.Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 23 reviews
★★★★★
“Nexus Academy was a wonderful place for my daughter. The staff were amazing and so supportive. They worked with our entire family. Highly recommend Nexus.”
★★★★★
“Sending your child or teen to a residential treatment facility is a difficult and heart-wrenching decision. The team at Nexus Teen Academy was exceptional. Our daughter’s therapist was a great fit for her and played a significant role in helping us grow as a family.”Read the full review →
★★★★★
“The program at Nexus was a lifesaver for my 15-year-old daughter. After a tough year in and out of different levels of care, my husband and I had truly hit a breaking point and knew a residential facility was needed.”Read the full review →
These come straight from our public Google Business Profile, anyone can read all 34 and add their own.
Getting started
How admission works, from first call to first day.
- You set the pace, with no pressure to decide
- Clear answers to every clinical and financial question
- An honest recommendation, even if another program is the better fit
1
- Today · 24/7
- ~15 minutes
One calm call
A licensed Nexus Teen Academy counselor listens to what the anger looks like at home, how long it has been building, and whether anyone has been hurt or property damaged, then tells you honestly whether residential is the right level for your Lake Havasu City teen.
- What to have ready: nothing. Just call, questions are welcome, and there is no obligation.
2
- Same day
- Free & confidential
Coverage check
With your okay, we check your benefits straight with your insurer and hand the numbers back in plain figures for residential behavioral-health care.
- What you get: your coverage answer, usually the same day, every option mapped, including in-network and out-of-network paths.
3
- Within 24 to 48 hrs
- Licensed clinicians
Clinical assessment
A licensed clinician walks through the episode history, past diagnoses, and school reports, screens for safety, and recommends the level of care the findings support.
- Your input matters: what you have seen at home is a key part of the clinical assessment.
4
- Within days
- Named coordinator
Plan the arrival
One coordinator maps the three and a half hour trip in from Lake Havasu City, the school records, current medications, and the packing list, so the long drive down and arrival day both stay calm.
- No surprises: you will have the packing list, schedule, and your coordinator's direct line in writing.
5
- Welcome day
- Never out of the loop
A gentle, planned arrival
Your teen meets the team and eases into the rhythm, and because the drive home is long, your first family update is scheduled by phone or video before you turn back toward the river.
- From here: predictable days, weekly updates, and a team your teen knows by name.
Coverage & cost
Does insurance cover teen residential treatment for Lake Havasu families?
On most major private plans, residential mental-health care is a covered behavioral-health benefit, not an add-on you have to argue for. Nexus Teen Academy checks your specific plan with the insurer and returns the answer in real numbers, so a Lake Havasu family knows exactly where it stands before deciding.
- 1You send your plan detailsTwo required fields. Member ID optional. Takes about a minute.
- 2We verify with your insurer directlyIn-network or out-of-network, free and confidential, usually the same day.
- 3You get the number in plain EnglishYour exact out-of-pocket cost, explained before you commit to anything.
- Meritain
- UMR
- + more
Out of network, or not sure what your plan includes? Call anyway. Cost should never be the reason a teen in crisis goes without help.
- Free benefits check
See exactly what your plan covers for residential anger treatment, free, confidential, no obligation.
After discharge
Aftercare so the calmer house holds once your teen is back at the lake.
Before discharge your case manager builds the home plan with you: the earliest signs the pattern is creeping back, the family move for each one, a telehealth or Mohave County outpatient therapist arranged near Lake Havasu City, and a phased return to your teen's school.
Answers
Teen anger treatment FAQs FAQs
The questions families ask us most, answered plainly, centers, distance, insurance, licensing, and privacy.
A licensed admissions counselor can answer it on the phone right now, no script, no pressure, and no obligation to enroll.
Talk to a counselorAnswered 24/7 at (480) 485-3424Centers & getting there
The nearest licensed residential option near me for a Lake Havasu City family is Nexus Teen Academy, with a boys' home in North Scottsdale and a girls' home in Cave Creek in the Phoenix metro. It is about a three and a half hour drive, and we lean on phone and video sessions so distance never keeps you out of the treatment. Call (480) 485-3424 to talk it through.
Plan on roughly three and a half hours. Most families take SR-95 out of town to US-93 and run southeast into the Phoenix metro, then finish on the Loop 101 to whichever home their teen is placed in. Your coordinator maps the full route and timing once a bed is confirmed.
Size, control, and damage give it away. An ordinary flare fits the trigger and burns off within the hour. An anger problem means blow-ups far bigger than the cause, several times a week, with broken things, threats, or someone hurt, and a teen who cannot pull out of it once it starts.
Anger is a symptom sitting on top of something. Underneath it we most often find trauma, ADHD, depression that reads as irritability, substance use, or an oppositional pattern. Every admission opens with an evaluation to name the driver, since coping skills rarely stick over an untreated cause.
Care & cost
The core is CBT for anger control, daily emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance groups, trauma-focused therapy when trauma is stoking the rage, and weekly family therapy with parent coaching that we run by video for you. Motivational interviewing, equine and experiential work, and psychiatric care for any co-occurring condition round it out.
Neither one. It is a licensed residential program in home-like houses, not a discipline camp and not a hospital ward. There is no confrontation or breaking-down approach. Steady structure, not punishment, is what calms the anger.
Most major private plans cover medically necessary residential behavioral-health care, and your share rides on your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum rather than one flat sticker price. With your consent we verify benefits directly and send the figures back before you commit to the drive.
It depends on your specific plan and on medical necessity. Our admissions team can tell you quickly whether your AHCCCS plan works with us, or point you to the right resource, rather than have a Lake Havasu City family make a long drive for care a plan will not cover.
Look at it when weekly therapy has not held, when episodes bring broken property, threats, or injury, or when home no longer feels safe or predictable. It is the step between outpatient and a hospital, built for anger that has taken over the house, and for a remote town where strong local options are thin.
Licensing & privacy
That turns on the driver and your teen's progress, and most stays run several weeks to a few months. Before discharge your case manager builds a home plan with you, including a telehealth or Mohave County outpatient therapist near Lake Havasu City and a staged return to school.
The distance is exactly why we build family work around phone and video. Expect weekly family therapy over video, regular clinical updates by phone, and coaching on what to say mid-episode, so being three and a half hours off never means being out of the loop.
That is common with anger and does not stop treatment from beginning. Our counselors will coach you through the conversation before the drive, and many teens who arrive furious settle once the setting is calm and no one is fighting them. One call is enough to start planning it.
Admission & daily life
Often within a few days. Admissions calls are returned within 24 hours, usually within minutes. A counselor checks your insurance benefits and licensed clinicians complete an assessment, and if everything moves smoothly your teen can move in shortly after. A coordinator walks you through travel, paperwork, and the first day.
Yes. Nexus Teen Academy offers tours of the home by appointment, so you can see where your teen would live and ask the team your questions in person before you decide anything. Call admissions to schedule a tour at a time that suits your family.
Yes. Family therapy happens once a week and is typically followed by about an hour of visitation, and parents are expected to take part. After orientation, teens can call home during designated hours most days, and families can also join a weekly virtual Family Empowerment group with other parents.
No. Personal phones and other devices stay at home for the length of the stay. Teens use tablets for video calls with approved contacts and computers for schoolwork, so contact with family continues through approved channels while the focus stays on treatment.
School continues during treatment. Teens attend accredited, credit-bearing classes on site, and education supervisors help with coursework and stay in touch with families. Bring a copy of any 504 plan or IEP at admission, and before discharge the team plans a staged return to your teen's home school.
Pack about two weeks of clothes without laces or drawstrings, alcohol-free toiletries, and any prescribed medication in its original packaging with a current medication list. Bring a guardian ID, a copy of any 504 plan or IEP, and school books. Personal phones and school-issued tablets stay at home.
The statewide picture
Arizona teen mental health, by the numbers.
Here is what the research shows about teen anger, and why a river town this far from the metro feels the shortage of care most.

Nearly 2 in 3
U.S. adolescents report a lifetime anger attack involving threats, destroying property, or violence (McLaughlin et al., Archives of General Psychiatry, 2012).
7.8%
of U.S. teens meet criteria for intermittent explosive disorder, marked by recurrent, out-of-proportion outbursts (McLaughlin et al., 2012).
Age 12
the median age of onset for intermittent explosive disorder, squarely in the adolescent years (Kessler et al., NCS-R).
1 in 4
Arizona adolescents who needed mental-health care found it very difficult or impossible to get (AZDHS, 2026).
Read together, the numbers say flashes of temper are part of growing up, while a narrower group crosses into anger that needs real treatment.
For a place as remote as Lake Havasu City, the Arizona bed shortage bites harder, which is exactly why an early phone call matters.
Teen group home care for Arizona families
A teen group home in Arizona, with treatment inside the house.
Searching for a teen group home in Arizona? Teens from across the state live at one of our two gender-separate homes in North Scottsdale and Cave Creek, each licensed by AZDHS as a behavioral-health residential facility, so the treatment happens inside the house, not somewhere else.
A typical group home
- Licensed for shelter and supervision
- Daily living and structure
- Supervision, not clinical treatment
Nexus homes
- AZDHS behavioral-health residential licence
- Daily therapy and psychiatric care
- Accredited school on site
Families from the Phoenix metro 9 cities
Families from Greater Arizona 6 cities
Teens from each of these cities are treated at our two homes in North Scottsdale and Cave Creek. We help with the drive or flight, and families join weekly therapy in person or by secure video.
Across Arizona
Teen anger treatment for Lake Havasu City, from two homes north of Phoenix.
Both residences sit in the northern Phoenix metro, a straight run down US-93 and SR-95 from the river, so licensed anger care for a remote town stays within reach. Admissions answers 24/7.
Within a half-day of most of the state
About two hours from Tucson on I-10, 2½ hours from Flagstaff on I-17, 1½ hours from Prescott, and three hours from Yuma on I-8, with Sierra Vista and Lake Havasu City a similar reach.
Telehealth & travel, handled
Weekly family sessions run over secure video for families who cannot make the drive, and our team helps plan the trip or a flight into Phoenix, so the miles never end treatment early.
Aftercare mapped to your community
Before discharge we line up step-down and outpatient care near home and coordinate school re-entry, so the progress made here continues once your teen is back in Lake Havasu City.
Nexus Teen Academy, Scottsdale · boys’ residence
Admissions 24/7
Nexus Teen Academy, Cave Creek · girls’ residence
Admissions 24/7

See a center on the map
Tap Cave Creek or Scottsdale below to load its interactive map right here.
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Explore each Nexus Teen Academy location
North Scottsdale, 85260 · off Loop 101
Saddle Mountain Rd, 85331 · 20 min north
Served from both centers
Travel, telehealth & aftercare
From the Nexus library
What parents read before they call us.
The newest articles from Nexus Teen Academy for parents weighing what comes next. This list updates itself every time a new article goes live.

Teen Xanax Addiction: Xanax Abuse in Teen Boys & Girls
The misuse of prescription drugs among teens continues to grow. According to recent statistics, 2.5% of 12- to 17-year-olds abuse prescriptions annually, while 7.1% of high
5 Best Self-Help Books for Teens
Adolescents often face significant academic, emotional, and social challenges. As you support them through the ups and downs
What to Do When Your Teen Refuses to Go to Treatment or Therapy
One of the most heartbreaking experiences a parent can undergo is watching their teenager struggle. It is even
Signs Your Teen Needs a Higher Level of Care Than Weekly Therapy
Teen mental health statistics can be worrying. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that roughly 49.5% of

How Caffeine Impacts Brain Development
Teens need roughly 8-10 hours of sleep for healthy brain development, which doesn’t always happen. For

Why Teen Boys With Trauma Often Target the Parent Who’s Trying Hardest to Help
Trauma and adverse childhood experiences can affect a child’s attachment, emotional regulation, and behavior toward caregivers.
Reading because something changed at home? Call (480) 485-3424 and talk it through with an Arizona admissions counselor. It is free, confidential and there is no obligation.
Every Nexus program, statewide
Find your teen’s program, wherever you live in Arizona.
Eleven conditions, one clinical team, and families from fifteen Arizona cities. Choose what your teen is struggling with, then see how care works for families from your area.
Nexus Teen Academy provides licensed residential treatment for teens aged 12 to 17 across eleven conditions: anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, self-harm, suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, substance use, ADHD, behavioral issues, oppositional defiant disorder and anger issues. Boys live at the North Scottsdale residence and girls at the Cave Creek residence. Teens from 15 Arizona cities and the rest of the state are treated at these two residences, with drive-time guidance, travel help and family therapy by secure video for families outside the metro.
Anger issues care, statewide
Teen anger issues treatment for families across Arizona
Teens from each city below are treated at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek residences. We walk families through the drive, school re-entry with your home district, and the questions parents from that area ask most.
Each condition leads to its Arizona guide, and the cities beside it show how care works for families from there.
Tell an admissions counselor what you are seeing at home, and they will say plainly which program fits.
Your city is not listed? We admit teens from anywhere in Arizona and from out of state. Call (480) 485-3424 and we will tell you which residence is closer and how the drive works.


