- Joint Commission accredited
- Two AZ campuses
- Ages 12–17
- Admissions 24/7
Residential treatment for teen depression in Arizona.
Your teen can come back to themselves — and we know the way. Joint Commission–accredited residential care for depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use, ages 12 to 17. Two Phoenix-metro campuses, serving families statewide.
- Free & confidential · No obligation · (480) 485-3424
- 4.7 Google · 34 reviews
- AZDHS-licensed residential facility
- Most major private insurance accepted
- Free consultation
- Counselor online now
Talk with a licensed counselor
Wherever in Arizona you're calling from, share where to reach you and a licensed admissions counselor calls back, usually within minutes. We'll talk through fit, coverage, and next steps. 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 · 34 reviews
- Joint Commission accredited
Licensed in Arizona. Accredited nationally. Independently verified.
Every credential is independently verifiable. Joint Commission · AZDHS registry · LegitScript.
Joint Commission accreditedAZDHS-licensed · LegitScript certifiedAbout Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy: accredited teen depression treatment in Arizona.
Nexus Teen Academy is a licensed, Joint Commission–accredited teen depression residential treatment provider in Arizona, treating adolescents ages 12 to 17 for depression, anxiety, trauma, and co-occurring substance use.
Two gender-separate residences in the Phoenix metro, North Scottsdale (boys) and Cave Creek (girls), provide clinician-led, PHQ-9-measured care: the subacute level between outpatient therapy and hospitalization, 24/7 in a real home. AZDHS-licensed, Joint Commission accredited, and LegitScript certified.
North Scottsdale
Boys, 12–17 · Phoenix metro
Cave Creek
Girls, 12–17 · Phoenix metro
2
Accredited Arizona campuses
12–17
Ages we treat, gender-separate
24/7
Awake clinical staff, every hour
1:1
A primary therapist, by name
Where residential care fits
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.
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 our teen depression treatment program includes.
Every teen at both Arizona campuses receives the same complete, evidence-based teen depression treatment program: comprehensive psychiatric assessment, individual CBT, group DBT skills, weekly family therapy, psychiatric medication management, and accredited academics, coordinated by one Nexus Teen Academy clinical team and reviewed weekly against measurable PHQ-9 goals.
Comprehensive psychiatric assessment
A DSM-5–informed psychiatric evaluation of your teen's depression and any co-occurring conditions, completed before the treatment plan is built.
Individualized treatment plan
Written by licensed Nexus Teen Academy clinicians, reviewed with you, and updated as your teen progresses.
Individual therapy. CBT & TF-CBT
Individual CBT and trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT) targeting negative thought patterns and any underlying trauma.
Group therapy & DBT skills
DBT skills groups building emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness with peers.
Weekly family therapy
In person or by secure telehealth, so parents in Tucson, Flagstaff, and across Arizona stay involved in treatment.
Psychiatric & medication management
Prescriber-led psychiatric care; any medication is evaluated case-by-case and explained in full.
Accredited academics
Accredited classes every weekday with credit transfer, so your teen stays on track to graduate.
Discharge & relapse-prevention plan
A written aftercare and relapse-prevention plan: warning signs, step-down providers near home, and 24/7 crisis contacts.
- Dual-diagnosis care — depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harm & substance use, together
Dual-diagnosis care
Conditions we treat: depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use.
Teen depression rarely occurs alone. By the time an Arizona family is considering residential treatment, depression usually co-occurs with anxiety, self-harm, trauma, or substance use, and these conditions reinforce one another.
Treating each condition in isolation is why many teens cycle through program after program.Nexus Teen Academy provides one clinical team and one integrated plan that addresses teen depression and every co-occurring condition together. This level of care is known as dual-diagnosis care, delivered in a single Arizona residential setting.
Primary conditionDepression & mood disorders
Everything below is treated in the same plan, by the same team.
Anxiety & panic
Common co-occurring condition.
Substance use
Co-occurring substance use.
Suicidal ideation
Assessed and monitored first.
Safety firstAnger & mood swings
Emotion-regulation support.
Self-harm
Structured, safety-focused care.
Safety firstLow self-esteem
Rebuilding self-worth.
Trauma & PTSD
Treated with TF-CBT.
Bipolar disorder
Mood-disorder management.
- Whatever your teen is facing, care stays coordinated in one integrated plan, one clinical team, and one residential setting.
The setting
See inside our Arizona teen residential home.
Two gender-separate residences in the Phoenix metro, the boys’ home in North Scottsdale and the girls’ home about 20 minutes north in Cave Creek. Both are licensed, home-like residential settings built for comfort, safety, and 24/7 supervision.
Take a self-guided 3D walkthrough of the home
Life inside
A typical day in teen residential treatment.
Structure is part of the treatment. Every day at both Arizona campuses follows the same rhythm — school, therapy, movement, meals, sleep — so your teen always knows what comes next.
7:30aWake, breakfast & check-in
A predictable morning routine, breakfast, and a daily mood check-in.
9:00aAccredited school
Small-group classes with credit transfer, so no one falls behind.
11:00aIndividual & group therapy
CBT, DBT skills, and one-to-one time with a therapist your teen knows.
2:00pExperiential & movement
Art, mindfulness, and outdoor time built into each day.
5:30pDinner & community
Shared evening meals and peer connection.
8:30pWind-down & overnight care
A steady wind-down routine, with awake staff on-site through the night.
Awake clinical staff are on-site every hour, including overnight, at both Arizona campuses.
How healing happens
Evidence-based therapies: CBT, DBT, and family therapy.
Nexus Teen Academy coordinates every evidence-based therapy, CBT, DBT, and weekly family therapy, into one integrated treatment plan at both Arizona campuses, reviewed weekly and measured with the PHQ-9.
Core therapies
1Individual therapy. CBT & TF-CBT
Individual CBT and TF-CBT targeting negative thought patterns, low energy, and any underlying trauma.
2Group therapy & DBT skills
DBT skills: distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and mindfulness, practiced in peer groups.
3Family therapy, every week
Weekly family therapy that repairs communication and prepares the home your teen returns to.
Supporting care, running alongside
Holistic & experiential
Art, movement, and mindfulness that rebuild motivation and self-worth.
Psychiatric & medication support
Prescriber-led evaluation; medication weighed case-by-case, explained in full, monitored closely.
Accredited academics
Accredited classes each weekday with credit coordination, so recovery and graduation progress together.
Your teen's clinical team
Meet our licensed clinical team.
Every teen works with a named, credentialed clinician and 24/7 nursing. Faces, roles, and licenses are shared before day one.
LPC, BC-TMH
LCSW, DSW
DNP, PMHNP-BCAlexandria Penner
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
24/7 on-siteBSN, RNAshley Morton
Nursing · 24/7 medical support
Medically reviewed by Hannah Carr-Unquera, LPC-16514, BC-TMH · July 2026.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 Nexus Teen Academy.
4.7/ 5
Read them all on 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.”
★★★★★
“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.
Our promise while you decide
- 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 admissions counselor reviews your teen's situation, history, and what you have already tried, then tells you whether residential treatment fits and what the next step is.
- 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 confirm your benefits straight with your private insurance plan, and translate the result into plain numbers: what is covered, what is not, and a realistic out-of-pocket, before any decision.
- What you get: your coverage answer, usually the same day, every option mapped, including in-network and out-of-network paths.
3
- Within 24–48 hrs
- Licensed clinicians
Clinical assessment
Licensed clinicians assess your teen's history, needs, strengths, and safety, then recommend the appropriate level of care.
- 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 manages logistics with you: the packing list, travel into Phoenix, school records for credit transfer, and how the first day will go.
- 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 clinical team and settles in. Your first family update is scheduled before you leave, and you have direct contact with the team from day one.
- From here: predictable days, weekly updates, and a team your teen knows by name.
Coverage & cost
Does insurance cover teen residential treatment in Arizona?
Residential mental-health treatment is a covered behavioral-health benefit on most major private insurance plans. Nexus Teen Academy accepts most major commercial insurers. Wherever in the state you are, we verify your exact private benefits, in-network or out-of-network, free, confidentially, and usually the same day, then explain any out-of-pocket cost in plain English before you commit.
- 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 unsure about your plan? Call anyway, cost should never be the reason a teen doesn't get help.
- Free benefits check
Verify your insurance in 2 minutes
See exactly what your plan covers for residential depression treatment, free, confidential, no obligation.
"*" indicates required fields
After discharge
Aftercare and relapse prevention that follows your teen home.
Before discharge, your Nexus Teen Academy case manager builds the aftercare plan with you: step-down or outpatient care near your community, telehealth continuation, school re-entry with your home district, and a relapse-prevention plan, so progress holds once your teen is back in Tucson, Flagstaff, Prescott, Yuma, or the Valley.
Answers
Teen residential treatment FAQs for Arizona parents.
The questions families ask us most, answered plainly — campuses, 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) 485-3424Campuses & getting there
Nexus Teen Academy has two licensed, gender-separate residences in the Phoenix metro (Maricopa County): a boys’ home in North Scottsdale (85260) and a girls’ home about 20 minutes north in Cave Creek (85331). Admissions are answered 24/7 at (480) 485-3424.
Yes. Families come to Nexus Teen Academy from across Arizona. Both campuses sit within a half-day’s drive of most of the state, roughly two hours from Tucson on I-10, about two and a half hours from Flagstaff on I-17, and around three hours from Yuma on I-8, and we also welcome out-of-state families through Phoenix Sky Harbor.
Distance never means dropping out of care. Weekly family therapy happens by secure telehealth for families outside the metro, your admissions coordinator helps plan the drive or flight, and aftercare is mapped back to providers near your home community.
Care is gender-separate. The Scottsdale residence serves boys and the Cave Creek residence serves girls. Both are licensed for ages 12 to 17 and run the same clinical program with 24/7 supervision.
Care & cost
Residential mental-health care is a covered behavioral-health benefit on most major private insurance plans. Nexus Teen Academy accepts most major commercial insurers. We verify your exact private benefits, in-network or out-of-network, free and confidentially, usually the same day. Verify your benefits →
Residential care is the level between the two. A psychiatric hospital provides short, acute stabilization; outpatient therapy is roughly an hour a week. Residential treatment is a longer, subacute stay in a licensed, home-like residence with 24-hour supervision and a full therapeutic day.
Licensing & privacy
Yes. Both residences are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS), and Nexus Teen Academy is accredited by The Joint Commission and LegitScript certified. Every credential is independently verifiable.
Yes. Your inquiry is confidential and protected under HIPAA. What you tell a counselor stays with the clinical team, and your information is never sold or shared with advertisers.
The statewide picture
Arizona teen mental health, by the numbers.
Adolescent depression and anxiety have risen sharply across Arizona, and for a growing number of families weekly outpatient therapy is no longer enough. The state’s own data shows why a middle level of care, residential treatment, exists.
4 in 10
Arizona high-schoolers reported their mental health was not good most or all of the time.
3 in 10
Seriously considered suicide — and about 1 in 10 attempted.
97%
Rise in adolescent depression diagnoses in Arizona, 2016–17 to 2020–21.
55%
Rise in anxiety diagnoses over the same period.
Arizona’s 988 and Teen Lifeline lines meet the emergency — but a crisis call is stabilization, not ongoing treatment.
Residential care is the step between outpatient therapy and the hospital — the middle is what has been missing.
Sources: Arizona Department of Health Services, Adolescent Mental Health Report; Arizona Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2021); National Survey of Children’s Health.
Talk to an Arizona counselor, 24/7Across Arizona
Teen depression treatment across Arizona, from two Phoenix-metro campuses.
Both Nexus Teen Academy residences sit in the Phoenix metro (Maricopa County), so families from every corner of Arizona can reach accredited residential care and stay close to the process. Admissions are answered 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
Secure weekly family telehealth for families outside the metro, plus help planning the drive or the flight into Phoenix Sky Harbor, so distance never means dropping out of treatment.
Aftercare mapped to your community
Step-down and outpatient care lined up near home before discharge, plus school re-entry with your home district, from Tucson Unified to Flagstaff Unified to the West Valley.
Nexus Teen Academy, Scottsdale · boys’ residence
8611 E Cholla St, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Admissions 24/7
Nexus Teen Academy, Cave Creek · girls’ residence
2695 E Saddle Mountain Rd, Cave Creek, AZ 85331
Admissions 24/7
See a campus 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
Scottsdale (boys)
North Scottsdale, 85260 · off Loop 101
Cave Creek (girls)
Saddle Mountain Rd, 85331 · 20 min north
Phoenix metro
Served from both campuses
Yuma & SW Arizona
Travel, telehealth & aftercare