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Teen Mental Health Treatment in Arizona

Dual diagnosis treatment for teen girls near Sun City, AZ.

When a mood disorder and the substance a girl uses to manage it are treated in separate places, neither one truly settles. Nexus Teen Academy treats both together in a single residential program for girls ages 12 to 17, at the licensed girls' residence in Cave Creek, reached by grandparents and parents across the Sun City area of the northwest Valley.

Talk with a licensed counselor

Raising a granddaughter near Sun City, or worried about a girl with family ties to the area? Tell us how to reach you. A licensed admissions counselor returns the call, usually in minutes, to go over fit, coverage and next steps. No pressure at all.

Licensed in Arizona. Accredited nationally. Independently verified.

Every credential is independently verifiable. Joint Commission · AZDHS registry · LegitScript.

Home-like living area at a Nexus Teen Academy residence in Arizona
Backyard and mountain views at a Nexus Teen Academy Arizona center
The Joint Commission National Quality Approval Gold SealJoint Commission accreditedAZDHS-licensed · LegitScript certified
One licensed girls' home, Cave CreekEast of the Sun City area, welcoming grandfamilies and parents from the northwest Valley.

About Nexus Teen Academy

Nexus Teen Academy: dual diagnosis treatment for Sun City families.

Nexus Teen Academy is a licensed, Joint Commission-accredited residential program for adolescent girls who carry a mental-health diagnosis and a substance problem at the same time. A single clinical team treats both sides at the girls' residence on desert acreage in Cave Creek, ages 12 to 17. Many of the families who reach us from around Sun City are grandparents raising a granddaughter, or parents rooted in the wider northwest Valley, and the story tends to rhyme: the drinking or the vaping started as a way to get through something. Treat the substance on its own and the reason stays put; treat the low mood on its own and the using pulls the gains apart.

If a girl first needs withdrawal handled under medical supervision, that step runs at a hospital, and admissions arranges the transfer so her treatment opens the day she is released. The program is clinician-led and holds AZDHS licensure, Joint Commission accreditation, and LegitScript certification, with staff awake all through the night.

Cave Creek

Girls, 12 to 17 · Phoenix metro

Cave Creek

Girls, 12 to 17 · Phoenix metro

2

Accredited Arizona centers

12 to 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.

Step downOutpatient & IOP

Therapy once or a few times a week. Your teen stays home and at school.

Nexus Teen AcademyResidential treatment

Live-in clinical care with 24/7 awake staff, daily therapy, and accredited school, in a real home.

You are here
Step upInpatient hospitalization

Short-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 team

The program

Components of dual diagnosis treatment at Nexus Teen Academy.

Recovery work and mental-health treatment carried on one plan, inside a girls-only home with a predictable daily rhythm. Every girl who arrives from the Sun City area receives each element below, checked each week against her own goals rather than a fixed timetable.

One combined evaluation

Psychiatric and substance histories gathered side by side, along with school records and prior care, so no one has to guess which problem came first.

Detox timed ahead

Withdrawal that needs medical oversight is managed at a hospital beforehand, and admissions schedules the transfer so treatment opens the day she is discharged.

Therapy each weekday

One named licensed clinician, working the thoughts, the triggers, and the using underneath them, every weekday.

Motivation and relapse work

For the girl who denies a problem, resistance is met rather than fought, and each high-risk moment gets a written plan.

Family and parent group

Weekly family sessions plus the Saturday parent group, because the northwest Valley home she returns to is part of the plan.

On-site psychiatric care

Medication managed at the residence by the prescriber, including what is safe alongside a history of misuse, with your consent at every change.

School that keeps count

Credit-bearing classes on site every weekday, so the schooling that slipped while she was using begins to recover.

A plan for afterward

Her relapse plan in writing, outpatient care booked in the northwest Valley, and a phased return to class in Peoria Unified or Dysart.

Dual-diagnosis care

Co-occurring conditions in teen dual diagnosis.

Anger or a flat mood rarely travels by itself. In national figures, about 15% of adolescents had a major depressive episode in the past year and 7.8% met the criteria for a substance use disorder, and the overlap is real: roughly a third of teens living with depression reported illicit drug use, compared with 12% of those without it.

At the Cave Creek residence one team holds both the diagnosis and the substance use inside a single plan, with nothing passed to an outside provider partway through, because sobriety that never touches the underlying reason seldom survives the first rough week back home.

Making sense of teen girls' dual diagnosis

The setting

Our girls-only residential home in Cave Creek.

The girls' residence sits on desert acreage in Cave Creek, roughly forty to fifty minutes east of the Sun City area across the northwest Valley. It is a genuine house arranged for early recovery: a steady routine, no substances or dealers within reach, meals prepared and shared at one table, staff awake overnight, and full AZDHS licensure.

Take a self-guided 3D walkthrough of the home

Life inside

Daily schedule at the Cave Creek residence.

The stretch right after waking is the toughest in the early days, so it holds the tightest structure. When every adult runs the day the same way, the cravings and the standoffs that once steered the household lose their grip.

MorningAfternoonEvening
A teen bedroom filled with natural morning light at a Nexus Teen Academy Arizona residence7:30a
Morning

Wake, breakfast & check-in

A predictable morning routine, breakfast, and a daily mood check-in.

The on-site accredited classroom at a Nexus Teen Academy Arizona center9:00a
Morning

Accredited school

Small-group classes with credit transfer, so no one falls behind.

Teens in a group therapy session with a clinician at Nexus Teen Academy11:00a
Morning

Individual & group therapy

CBT and one-to-one time with a therapist your teen knows.

The recreation room with a ping-pong table at a Nexus Teen Academy Arizona residence2:00p
Afternoon

Experiential & movement

Art, mindfulness, and outdoor time built into each day.

The shared kitchen and dining room where residents eat together5:30p
Evening

Dinner & community

Shared evening meals and peer connection.

The backyard and mountain view at a Nexus Teen Academy Arizona residence in the evening8:30p
Evening

Wind-down & overnight care

A steady wind-down routine, with awake staff on-site through the night.

Weekends run differently

Family phone calls 4:00 - 6:00 pm, every day

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

Therapies used in dual diagnosis treatment.

Integrated care, where one team treats both conditions at the same time, is what national guidance recommends for co-occurring disorders. A residential setting supplies the supervised hours that a weekly outpatient appointment can never reach.

One treatment planOne clinical teamReviewed weeklyTracked against her goals

Core therapies

A teen in a one-on-one therapy session with a Nexus Teen Academy clinician1

Motivational interviewing

Made for ambivalence. Rather than arguing her into line, it builds on the reasons she already carries for changing.

Helps withweek oneno lectures
Teens supporting each other in a group therapy session2

CBT and relapse prevention

Triggers, high-risk situations, ways to refuse, and a written plan for the moments that usually end in using.

Helps withtrigger workrefusal skills
A weekly family therapy session with parents and a clinician3

Emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance skills

Practiced every day, so she has something to turn to once the substance is gone.

Helps withdaily practiceimpulse control

Supporting care, running alongside

Trauma-focused CBT and EMDR

When trauma is doing the driving, it is treated directly, once she is stable rather than in the first week.

after stabilizationsafety first

Family therapy and parent group

Weekly family sessions, in person for northwest Valley families and by secure video for those farther out, plus the Saturday parent group.

weeklyhome plan

Equine, art and experiential

Friday sessions with the horses, along with art and music: hours that rebuild a life with no substance in it.

equine Fridayshealthy outlets
None of these run separately, they sit in one plan, owned by one clinical team.

Your teen's clinical team

Meet our licensed clinical team.

Each girl is matched with a named, licensed clinician, and the psychiatric prescriber and residential staff are named as well. Every Arizona license shown below is open for you to check yourself.

Hannah Carr-Unquera, Executive Director at Nexus Teen AcademyLPC, BC-TMH

Hannah Carr-Unquera

Executive Director

Leads the clinical program across both homes, licensed in Arizona and board certified in telemental health.

Dr. Tyler White, Director of Adolescent Clinical Services at Nexus Teen AcademyLCSW, DSW

Dr. Tyler White

Director of Adolescent Clinical Services

Sets the treatment plan each resident’s team works to, and supervises the clinicians who deliver it.

Alexandria Penner, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Nexus Teen AcademyDNP, PMHNP-BC

Alexandria Penner

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Runs psychiatric evaluation and medication management on-site, so prescribing stays inside the house.

Ashley Daniels, Director of Family Services & Education at Nexus Teen AcademyHouse team

Ashley 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.

Jennifer Inderberg, Education Supervisor at Nexus Teen AcademyHouse team

Jennifer 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.

Melissa Stockmar, Director of Food Operations at Nexus Teen AcademyHouse team

Melissa 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

Reviews from parents across Arizona.

Google
Carol Trombino profile picture
Carol Trombino
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
Hemella Sweatt profile picture
Hemella Sweatt
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
S H profile picture
S H
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
Amanda Hayes profile picture
Amanda Hayes
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
Alisha profile picture
Alisha
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
Vanessa Anaya profile picture
Vanessa Anaya
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
Sean Hayes profile picture
Sean Hayes
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
Zane Bedford profile picture
Zane Bedford
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
lily henderson profile picture
lily henderson
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.
Google
Jasmine Carter profile picture
Jasmine Carter
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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.

4.7/ 5

★★★★★34 verified Google reviews · Scottsdale & Cave Creek centers
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.”
CCarol TrombinoVerified Google review

★★★★★

“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 →
HHemella SweattVerified Google 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 →
SS. H.Verified Google review
31 more reviews on GoogleUnedited, public, and open for any family to add their own.Read every review →

These come straight from our public Google Business Profile, anyone can read all 34 and add their own.

Getting started

Admission for Sun City families, step by step.

Our promise while you decide

1

One calm call

A licensed Nexus Teen Academy counselor asks what she is using and how often, when she last used, which diagnoses and past treatment already exist, and whether anyone is in danger, then tells you honestly whether residential care is the right fit for your granddaughter or daughter.

2

Coverage check

With your approval we contact your insurer and report back plain numbers for residential behavioral-health care, network standing, and the realistic out-of-pocket, and here both benefits count, the mental-health side and the substance-use side.

3

Clinical assessment

A licensed clinician works through the substance history, the psychiatric history, earlier treatment, and safety, then recommends the level of care those findings support; when she last used and any withdrawal history decide whether hospital detox needs to come first.

4

Plan the arrival

One named coordinator manages medical clearance, the trip in, school records, prescriptions, and a packing list reviewed for safety, so arrival day holds no surprises.

5

A gentle, planned arrival

Your granddaughter or daughter meets the clinical team and eases into the routine, and your first family update is on the calendar before you make the drive back across the Valley.

Coverage & cost

Does insurance cover teen dual diagnosis treatment?

Whether you are a parent or a grandparent raising her near Sun City, the coverage question deserves a straight answer. Residential behavioral-health treatment is a covered benefit on most major private plans, and we accept most major commercial insurers. Because a dual diagnosis draws on the mental-health benefit and the substance-use benefit together, we review both, in network or out of network, at no cost and in confidence, typically within the day, then spell out any out-of-pocket amount before anything is signed.

  1. 1You send your plan detailsTwo required fields. Member ID optional. Takes about a minute.
  2. 2We verify with your insurer directlyIn-network or out-of-network, free and confidential, usually the same day.
  3. 3You get the number in plain EnglishYour exact out-of-pocket cost, explained before you commit to anything.

Out-of-network or unsure about your plan? Call anyway, cost should never be the reason a teen doesn't get help.

Verify your insurance in 2 minutes

Ask us to check her coverage for residential dual diagnosis care. It costs nothing, stays private, and commits you to nothing.

HIPAA-protectedNo obligationNever sold or shared

After discharge

Discharge and aftercare planning near Sun City.

Discharge planning begins weeks ahead with you at the table: an adolescent PHP or IOP step-down where it fits, an outpatient therapist and prescriber arranged close to the northwest Valley, a written relapse plan naming her risky people, places, and hours, and a staged return to school coordinated with her home district, whether that is Peoria Unified or Dysart.

Answers

Questions Sun City parents ask about dual diagnosis care

Direct answers for grandparents and parents near Sun City weighing residential dual diagnosis care for a girl in their family.

Your question isn’t here?

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) 485-3424

Centers & getting there

Yes. Nexus Teen Academy treats co-occurring mental health and substance use at its AZDHS-licensed girls' residence in Cave Creek, roughly forty to fifty minutes east of the Sun City area, serving families throughout the northwest Valley and the rest of Arizona. Admissions answers (480) 485-3424 at any hour.

It means two things hold true at the same time: a mental-health condition such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, or ADHD, alongside a substance problem. Integrated treatment puts one team on both at once, instead of moving her between a mental-health program and a separate substance program.

The Cave Creek residence admits girls ages 12 to 17 only. A girls-only home changes what can be said aloud: sexual-trauma history, self-harm, disordered eating, and the social pressures that push many teenage girls toward using are all worked on openly, and groups, bedrooms, and staffing are shaped around that one group.

No. When withdrawal needs medical management, detox is handled at a hospital first, and admissions times the move so treatment begins the day she is discharged. The same holds for any acute medical instability.

Care & cost

The program covers what appears most in adolescent girls: alcohol, cannabis, nicotine and vaping, prescription pills shared between friends, and stimulants. What matters clinically is the pattern and what the substance is doing for her, not the substance by itself.

With motivational interviewing rather than a fight. Most girls arrive sure they do not belong here. The method works from her own reasons for change, and the daily structure gives her a sober baseline to measure against, usually within the first two weeks.

Many commercial plans do when medical necessity is met, and both the mental-health and the substance-use benefits come into play. Nexus Teen Academy accepts most private insurance and returns your coverage, network position, and likely costs before you commit to anything.

Family work is built in: weekly family therapy, in person for those close by and by secure video for others, a Saturday parent group, and daily phone calls. Because the home she returns to is part of the relapse plan, the adults raising her are part of the treatment.

Yes, and the prescriber reviews everything she arrives on. Where a history of misuse makes a medication risky, the prescriber walks you through the alternatives, and nothing changes without your consent.

Licensing & privacy

Stays are planned around 30 days or more, then adjusted against clinical markers: steady mood, skills she uses without prompting, a family prepared for the home plan, and a step-down in place. Before discharge your case manager books an outpatient therapist near home and stages her return to school.

A certified teacher runs credit-bearing classes on site every weekday, and the credits transfer back to her home district, whether Peoria Unified or Dysart. For a girl whose attendance fell apart while she was using, that is often the first thing to steady.

That is common, and it does not keep treatment from starting. Our counselors coach you through the conversation, and many girls who arrive certain they do not belong settle once the home is calm, predictable, and no one is fighting them. One call works through your particular situation.

The numbers

Why early dual diagnosis treatment matters

Teenage girls report more substance use than they did ten years ago, and the mental-health piece is usually already present. Each figure below is sourced.

Aerial view of a Nexus Teen Academy residential center in Arizona

7.8%

of U.S. adolescents 12 to 17, about 2 million, had a substance use disorder in the past year (SAMHSA NSDUH, 2024).

1 in 3

teens with depression reported past-year illicit drug use, against 12% of teens without depression (SAMHSA NSDUH, 2024).

About 30%

of the 2.4 million adolescents who needed substance use treatment received any (SAMHSA NSDUH, 2024).

1 in 4

Arizona adolescents who needed mental-health care found it very difficult or impossible to get (AZDHS, 2026).

Set side by side, these figures show a substance problem and a mental-health diagnosis moving as a pair far more often than either turns up alone.

The Arizona access number is why northwest Valley families reach out early: when help nearby is thin, one program treating both sides is often the faster route.

Sources: SAMHSA, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2024 (as summarized by KFF); CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report, 2013-2023; Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona Adolescent Mental Health Report, 2026.

Teen group home care for Sun City girls

A family home in feel, a licensed program in practice.

Many grandparents raising a granddaughter around Sun City start by searching for a group home. Ours is a girls-only house in Cave Creek, holding an AZDHS license as a behavioral-health residential facility, where her treatment happens under the same roof where she sleeps, eats and studies.

A typical group home

Nexus homes

Families from the Phoenix metro 9 cities

Families from Greater Arizona 6 cities

Girls connected to every community listed here receive care at our Cave Creek residence. We help grandparents and parents plan the trip, and weekly family therapy runs in person or on secure video.

Across Arizona

Dual diagnosis treatment for girls near Sun City.

The girls' residence lies northeast of the Sun City area, in Cave Creek on the far side of the Valley, close enough that a grandparent or parent can make the drive for family sessions. Admissions answers at every hour.

About 40 to 50 minutes across the Valley

From the Sun City area the drive east to Cave Creek takes roughly 40 to 50 minutes across the northwest Valley. A grandparent or parent can plan it as a single outing, which keeps in-person family sessions realistic every week.

Sessions by screen or in person

Weekly family therapy works in person or on secure video, which helps on weeks when the trip east is too much, and our staff will gladly walk a grandparent new to video calls through the setup first.

Follow-up care in the northwest Valley

Before she leaves, PHP or IOP step-down and outpatient appointments are set up near the Sun City area, and her school return is planned with Peoria Unified or Dysart, whichever serves her home.

Nexus Teen Academy, Cave Creek · girls’ residence

2695 E Saddle Mountain Rd, Cave Creek, AZ 85331

Admissions 24/7

See a center on the map

Tap Cave Creek below to load its interactive map right here.

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Cave Creek residence location for Sun City families

Sun City area, AZ

About 40 to 50 min east to Cave Creek

Cave Creek (girls)

Saddle Mountain Rd, 85331 · 20 min north

Northwest Valley

Also serving Peoria, Youngtown, Surprise

Yuma & SW Arizona

Travel, telehealth & aftercare

Every Nexus program, statewide

Explore residential programs by condition.

One clinical team treats eight conditions for girls from around the state. Select the struggle closest to hers, then read how care works for families tied to the Sun City area.

Conditions treated, ages 12 to 17
8
Arizona cities our families come from
15
Residences, girls
2
Admissions line, every day
24 /7

Eight conditions are treated in Nexus Teen Academy's licensed residential program for 12 to 17 year olds: anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, self-harm, suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, substance use and ADHD. Girls live and receive care at the girls-only Cave Creek residence. Parents and grandparents connected to the Sun City area, and families elsewhere in Arizona, get honest drive-time guidance, help with travel, and secure-video family therapy for the weeks the trip east is too much.

Depression care, statewide

Dual diagnosis treatment for girls in nearby cities

Each community listed here sends girls to our Cave Creek residence. Its page explains the drive, how school re-entry works with the local district, and what families from that part of Arizona tend to ask.

More conditions treated at Nexus Teen Academy

Open any condition for its statewide guide, or tap a nearby city to see how care works from that community.

Your town missing from the list? We accept girls from any part of Arizona or from out of state. Phone (480) 485-3424 any hour and we will explain how the trip to Cave Creek works.