- Joint Commission accredited
- Girls-only home
- Ages 12 to 17
- Admissions 24/7
Emotional dysregulation treatment for teen girls near El Mirage, AZ.
Sometimes a feeling swells so fast that a girl grabs for the one thing that seems to switch it off, and that thing is hurting herself. If you have found signs of this in your El Mirage home, Nexus Teen Academy offers a calm next step: a residential stay in Cave Creek for girls ages 12 to 17, where safety gets settled first and CBT, EMDR and daily practice teach other ways down.
- 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
Leave a phone number for a moment when you can speak privately. Soon after, a licensed counselor on the admissions side returns your call, listens to what has been going on, self-harm included, explains coverage and sketches next steps.
- 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
How Nexus Teen Academy supports El Mirage families.
Nexus Teen Academy, AZDHS-licensed and Joint Commission-accredited, cares for girls whose emotions climb too steeply to steer, including girls who have begun hurting themselves for relief. The house sits in quiet desert country in Cave Creek, which El Mirage parents reach up the Loop 101 inside 45 to 55 minutes, and it serves girls ages 12 to 17. Self-injury seldom tells the full story. Anxiety, depression, ADHD or an old trauma often sits underneath, so we untangle those threads before choosing a course.
Safety questions open the intake conversation. Over the next days staff chart each surge: what lit it, its peak, the stretch of time before she cooled. Her plan takes shape from those notes. Three credentials back the house: a state license from AZDHS, LegitScript certification, and The Joint Commission's accreditation.
Nexus Teen Academy provides residential treatment for teen emotional dysregulation for families from El Mirage, Arizona, for ages 12 to 17. Girls live in a licensed home in Cave Creek 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.
Cave Creek
Girls, 12 to 17 · Phoenix metro
Cave Creek
Girls, 12 to 17 · Phoenix metro
Accredited Arizona 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 our residential emotional dysregulation program includes.
Everything below hangs on a single written plan, and that plan also spells out how staff keep her safe: weekday therapy, coached coping skills, classes and family sessions, inside a house of girls where the day hardly varies. Each week her team weighs progress against moments they actually watched unfold, including urges she noticed and rode out without acting.
Safety questions come first
Self-harm and thoughts of suicide are raised before anything else; screening for trauma, mood conditions, anxiety, ADHD, depression and substance use follows.
Charting urges and recovery
Staff jot down what started each surge or urge, how strong it grew and the time needed to settle, letting her pattern come clear within a few weeks.
A session every weekday
Each weekday includes time with the licensed clinician assigned to her by name, who applies CBT to triggers and urges and brings in EMDR if old trauma keeps driving reactions.
Skills that take harm's place
Naming emotions, slow paced breaths, grounding and tolerating distress, rehearsed every day until she owns safer routes through the peak of a feeling.
Family sessions, Saturday group
Family therapy weekly, with a parents' circle on Saturdays about keeping calm, honoring what she feels and answering steadily when she struggles.
On-site psychiatric care
A prescriber screens for depression, anxiety, ADHD or a co-occurring mood condition; treatment happens only if indicated, and you approve any change first.
Weekday classes for credit
Her transcript stays alive: a certified teacher gives credit-bearing lessons every weekday while she practices riding out hard feelings.
A day without surprises
Waking, meals, class and bedtime keep their slots and quiet rooms stay open, leaving less room for overwhelming moments.
- Safety first, then skills that take the place of harm
Linked conditions
Conditions linked to emotional dysregulation in girls.
Hurting oneself on purpose happens more than most parents would guess. Pooled studies by Swannell and colleagues found 17.2% of teens in community samples had done it at least once, and 2023 CDC data recorded lingering sadness or hopelessness in 53% of surveyed high-school-age girls nationwide, the very weight self-harm is often used to lift.
In Cave Creek the urge to self-harm, the flood of feeling behind it and whatever anxiety, depression or trauma feeds both get treated by one team, so an El Mirage girl is not passed between offices that never compare notes.
When pain becomes her pressure valve
Primary focus
Overwhelming emotions, outbursts and urges in adolescent girls
Depression
A low that makes pain feel permanent.
Anxiety & panic
Dread or panic hunting for an outlet.
PTSD & trauma
Trauma that sets off sharp, sudden surges.
ADHD
Quick, impulsive acts in a hard minute.
Mood swings
Moods that drop with little warning.
Substance use
Substances used to quiet a feeling.
Self-harm
Asked about gently; screened at intake.
Safety firstSuicidal ideation
Explored first, ahead of everything else.
Safety first- When anxiety, depression, trauma or ADHD feed the urge, the same Cave Creek clinicians address all of it under one plan.
The setting
The Cave Creek residence for emotional dysregulation treatment.
Imagine an ordinary, lived-in house out where Cave Creek turns to open desert, half an hour or so beyond the heart of Phoenix. Its only residents are girls. The rhythm barely shifts; a quiet room sits ready whenever an urge or a hard feeling builds; night staff stay awake and watchful till sunrise; and the house has full AZDHS licensure.
Take a self-guided 3D walkthrough of the home
Life inside
Structure and routine in residential care.
Long, empty stretches are where urges tend to grow. With meals, class, sessions and bedtime pinned in place, staff always know where she is and can offer a skill while a feeling is still rising, not after it crests.
-
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
CBT, EMDR and skills for emotional regulation.
CBT carries the center of the work: she learns to catch the spark, the thought that gets loose next and the urge close behind, then builds a pause and a safer move. EMDR joins after she has steadied, provided past trauma keeps tripping those surges. Living on site means a skill gets tried the very minute an urge shows up, whatever the hour.
Core therapies
1
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Traces trigger, thought and urge in order, then builds a safer plan she can use before a feeling tips into self-harm.
Helps withcore worksafer responses2
EMDR
Starts after she is stable if earlier trauma is still firing overwhelming reactions, helping those memories feel less intense.
Helps withtrauma focusstability first3
Emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance skills
Putting words to emotions, a slower breath, grounding: drilled daily, so that she has something in hand besides hurting herself.
Helps withreplace self-harmevery day
Supporting care, running alongside
Psychiatric evaluation and medication
Checks whether depression, ADHD, anxiety or mood problems lie beneath the surges; medication follows only if indicated, and never without your consent.
when indicatedconsent firstFamily therapy and parent group
Family work weekly, face to face in our living room or over secure video, plus each Saturday a parents' circle to rehearse calm, validating replies.
weekly sessionsparent groupEquine, art and experiential
Friday is for the horses; art and music fill other afternoons. Each helps her feel a wave rising in her body and let it settle, no words needed.
equine Fridayscreative outlets
Your teen's clinical team
Meet our licensed clinical team.
One named, licensed therapist leads her care, a prescriber whose office is in the house looks after co-occurring conditions, and every residential staff member knows her safety plan by heart. Arizona's license registry, linked further down, lets you confirm each clinician.
LPC, BC-TMHHannah Carr-Unquera
Executive Director
Leads the clinical program, 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, 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
Family reviews of 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
Gently and without judgment, the licensed counselor on the line asks how her outbursts or shutdowns unfold, their length, their usual triggers, whether self-harm or thoughts of suicide have come up, and any past diagnoses or medicines. Then comes a frank answer: does residential care fit, or would something else serve her better?
- What to have ready: nothing. Just call, questions are welcome, and there is no obligation.
2
- Same day
- Free & confidential
Coverage check
Give us a go-ahead and someone on staff phones your insurer, then reports back, typically within the day, on how far your plan reaches for a residential stay in behavioral health, where we stand with their network and your probable share, estimated honestly. Benefits for care like this come from the plan's behavioral-health side and depend on medical necessity.
- 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
Her emotional and safety history, earlier care, school picture and family background all go before a licensed clinician, whose advice on the right intensity of care follows from them. Telling us what tends to happen right before her hardest moments helps shape a safer plan from day one.
- 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
Your coordinator sorts out travel, pulls together school records and the medicines she takes, sends a packing list we screen for safety, and writes up each arrangement for you, adding a direct phone number.
- 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
She is welcomed by her therapist and by the other residents, spends that first evening with staff within arm's reach, and before you drive back to El Mirage the first family update is penciled in.
- From here: predictable days, weekly updates, and a team your teen knows by name.
Coverage & cost
Using insurance for residential emotional dysregulation treatment
Residential treatment for whatever lies behind severe emotional dysregulation and self-harm usually falls to the behavioral-health portion of major private plans, and Nexus Teen Academy takes most commercial insurance. For El Mirage parents, a confidential review of their daughter's coverage costs nothing, often comes back within hours, explains network status either way and shows your likely costs before anything is decided.
- 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
Have us look up her residential benefits today, quietly and for free, with nothing to sign.
After discharge
Aftercare planning for El Mirage families.
Planning her discharge starts weeks before it happens, with you at every step. Out of it come: early warning signs and her favorite coping steps, written out; outpatient visits booked with a therapist and prescriber who both practice near El Mirage; a written script for flare-ups at home; and, step by step, her return to Dysart Unified classes.
Answers
Emotional dysregulation treatment FAQs for El Mirage families
El Mirage parents worried about intense emotions and self-harm usually want to know the following before a residential stay.
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
Yes. If you typed emotional dysregulation treatment near me in El Mirage, know that our girls-only home sits in Cave Creek, not El Mirage, with the Loop 101 covering the gap; most drives last 45 to 55 minutes. Call (480) 485-3424 anytime.
For most El Mirage families, yes: budget 45 to 55 minutes along the Loop 101 on a normal day. Come in person for visits and family sessions, and lean on secure video in weeks when driving is not realistic.
Pushback is normal and does not mean the plan is wrong. Our admissions team can help you plan how to explain the stay calmly, answer her objections and keep everyone safe meanwhile. In an emergency, call or text 988 right away, or get to the closest emergency department.
Yes, girls ages 12 to 17 and nobody else. Shame, painful feelings and self-harm usually feel easier to talk through in a group where everyone is a girl.
Care & cost
At intake, self-harm gets screened, and the very first question concerns suicidal thoughts. After that, staff are awake overnight, the routine keeps adults nearby, and she builds coping skills for the moment an urge arrives.
Self-harm can bring a short burst of relief from an overwhelming feeling. With CBT and daily practice she learns to spot the urge early, name the feeling, slow her breath and ground herself, so the wave passes and she stays unhurt.
Her feelings get very intense and stay that way longer than she can handle. That can look like rage, crying that won't stop, shutting down or acting on impulse, self-harm included, and it often travels alongside anxiety, ADHD, depression or trauma.
Often it can. Nexus works with most big private insurers, behavioral-health benefits apply when medical necessity is shown, and our benefits check, free and private, usually finishes that same day.
Not necessarily. Medication comes in only if a condition alongside, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD or mood problems, calls for it, and you sign off on each change.
Licensing & privacy
You can. Ask AZDHS about the license for our residence, The Joint Commission about our accreditation and LegitScript about our certification; each will confirm directly.
Yes. Everything said to admissions stays confidential, and HIPAA protects her records afterward, which go no further than the people you approve (her pediatrician, for example).
She does. Every weekday class she takes with our certified teacher counts for credit, and before she leaves her team maps an unhurried return to Dysart Unified.
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.
What studies show
Research on emotional dysregulation in teen girls
Self-harm turns up among teens more than many families realize, often sitting next to sadness or suicidal thoughts. A source sits beside every figure.

53%
of girls in the nation's high schools said sad or hopeless feelings had persisted (CDC YRBS, 2023).
27%
of the teen girls CDC researchers polled in high school said suicide had seriously crossed their minds within the preceding year (CDC YRBS, 2023).
17.2%
of adolescents in non-clinical community studies said they had once or more hurt themselves on purpose (Swannell et al., 2014).
1 in 4
Arizona adolescents whose mental health needed attention described care as very difficult to obtain, when it could be obtained at all (AZDHS, 2026).
Self-harm usually points to a feeling she cannot yet manage, not a bid for attention, and other ways to cope can be learned.
For 1 in 4 Arizona adolescents needing care, it proves very difficult or impossible to find, so El Mirage parents often phone sooner rather than hold out for an outpatient opening months away.
Group home alternatives for teen girls
A family-style home with clinicians on site.
Wondering about group homes since your daughter's feelings have begun to endanger her? Our Cave Creek house, an AZDHS-licensed behavioral-health residence, is home to El Mirage girls and others from the West Valley, with awake overnight staff, therapy and school under a single address.
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
Girls from each city here have lived with us up in Cave Creek. Admissions can plan visits with you, and once a week family therapy meets around a table or by video on a secure connection.
Across Arizona
Residential emotional dysregulation care within reach of El Mirage.
El Mirage parents usually ride the Loop 101 northeast and park in Cave Creek roughly 50 minutes later, give or take five, a manageable span for Saturday visits or an in-house family session. Households in Surprise, Glendale and Youngtown drive about as long, and admissions is staffed at all hours.
Northeast on the 101
Most El Mirage families follow the Loop 101 northeast; door to door, their trip up to the house runs 45 to 55 minutes, so regular visits stay realistic from her first week to her last.
Same room, or same screen
Weekly family therapy can be an in-person hour in Cave Creek or a secure video call joined from your El Mirage living room, keeping you inside her safety and skills work all along.
Local help, booked ahead
Ahead of her goodbye: PHP or IOP as a bridge when that suits her, outpatient care near El Mirage with a therapist and a prescriber, the coping and safety steps she relies on in writing, and a gradual way back into Dysart Unified.
Nexus Teen Academy, Cave Creek · girls’ residence
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Distance from El Mirage to the Cave Creek residence
45-55 min via Loop 101 northeast
Saddle Mountain Rd, 85331 · 20 min north
Surprise, Youngtown, Glendale too
Travel, telehealth & aftercare
Every Nexus program, statewide
Teen treatment programs by condition.
Start from whatever your daughter is facing, self-harm, anxiety or something else, and read how care comes together for El Mirage families and others statewide.
Nexus Teen Academy carries a license for residential care of teens ages 12 to 17, and its work spans depression and eating disorders, ADHD alongside bipolar disorder, then trauma and PTSD, self-harm, substance use, anxiety, suicidal ideation, mood swings, and emotional dysregulation. Girls whose feelings have become overwhelming live in our Cave Creek girls' home, and El Mirage parents get support planning the Loop 101 drive, visits and video family therapy.
Depression care, statewide
Emotional dysregulation care in other Arizona cities
Girls from these nearby West Valley cities also stay with us. Admissions can map directions, help you put a plan for tense moments on paper, coordinate her return to your district's classrooms and field other local questions.
Other conditions we treat for teens
Conditions link to Arizona overviews; nearby cities show the path their families took to care.
Talk it through with a counselor
Tell an admissions counselor what you are seeing at home, and they will say plainly which program fits.
Girls-only programs
Treated only at the Cave Creek girls residence
Five programs for teen girls, each with an Arizona guide and a page for families from each nearby city.
Co-occurring mental health and substance use
Eating disorders in teen girls
Sexual trauma in teen girls
Severe mood swings in teen girls
Your city isn't on the list? That rarely matters: girls come to us statewide, and from out of state too. Dial (480) 485-3424 for the driving route and a step-by-step look at admission.


