- Joint Commission accredited
- Two AZ centers
- Ages 12-17
- Admissions 24/7
Residential treatment for teen suicidal ideation serving Peoria, AZ.
A Peoria teen who has stopped making plans for the future, and started talking about not having one, needs more than reassurance. Nexus Teen Academy offers full-time, safety-first care for ages 12 to 17 at two accredited homes across the Valley, with awake staff every hour of the night.
- 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
From anywhere in Peoria, leave a number and a licensed admissions counselor calls back, usually within minutes, to cover fit, coverage, and the safest next step.
- 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: teen suicidal ideation treatment for Peoria and the northwest Valley.
Nexus Teen Academy is a licensed, Joint Commission-accredited residential program for teen suicidal ideation, serving Peoria and the northwest Valley in Maricopa County. For teens 12 to 17 whose suicidal thoughts have outgrown weekly therapy, this live-in care sits one step below a hospital. Each stay opens with a C-SSRS risk assessment, a written safety plan, and awake overnight supervision. Boys are cared for at our North Scottsdale home and girls at Cave Creek, a cross-Valley drive from Peoria.
Both homes sit across the Valley from Peoria, North Scottsdale for boys and Cave Creek for girls, reachable on the Loop 101. Each is AZDHS-licensed, Joint Commission accredited, and LegitScript certified, with a psychiatric provider and awake staff on site.
North Scottsdale
Boys, 12-17 · Phoenix metro
Cave Creek
Girls, 12-17 · Phoenix metro
2
Accredited Arizona centers
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 teen suicidal ideation treatment covers for Peoria teens.
For students in Peoria Unified and Deer Valley schools across the northwest Valley, care follows one careful sequence: the C-SSRS assesses risk, a safety plan is written with your teen, access to means is closed, and then the daily therapy that rebuilds a reason to stay begins.
Psychiatric & C-SSRS risk assessment
Care opens with a psychiatric evaluation and a structured C-SSRS assessment that reads how often and how intensely the suicidal thoughts come and whether a plan or intent exists, before treatment is designed.
Individual behavior plan
A safety plan is written with your teen, warning signs, coping steps, contacts, and a means-safety review helps your family make the Peoria home safer for the return.
Individual therapy
The same primary therapist works with your teen one-to-one daily, so the relationship deepens instead of restarting each week.
Group therapy & coping skills
Daily skills groups teach distress tolerance and emotion regulation, the practical tools for getting through a suicidal surge without acting on it.
Weekly family therapy
Parents are coached on responding to suicidal statements and setbacks, in person or by secure video, so northwest Valley families stay involved.
Psychiatric & medication management
A prescriber addresses the depression, anxiety, or trauma under the thoughts; any medication is weighed individually and explained.
Accredited academics
Accredited weekday classes with credit transfer keep a Peoria Unified or Deer Valley student on track toward graduation.
Discharge & relapse-prevention plan
Your teen helps write the discharge safety plan, warning signs, coping tools, Peoria-area step-down providers, and 24/7 lines including 988.
- Dual-diagnosis care, depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harm & substance use, together
Dual-diagnosis care
With suicidal ideation, we also treat depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Suicidal thoughts seldom come alone. By the time a Peoria family considers residential care, depression, anxiety, or trauma has usually been building, so Nexus Teen Academy treats the thoughts and their roots together.
Distance from the daily triggers, plus round-the-clock support, is often what finally breaks the spiral.Nexus Teen Academy keeps one clinical team beside your teen day and night until the risk eases and a plan is in place.
Primary conditionSuicidal ideation
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 homes across the Valley from Peoria, the boys’ residence in North Scottsdale and the girls’ in Cave Creek, both reachable on the 101.
Take a self-guided 3D walkthrough of the home
Life inside
A day in suicidal-ideation residential care.
Routine is protective in itself. Each day at both homes keeps the same dependable shape, school, therapy, movement, meals, sleep, so a struggling 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 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.
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
The therapy mix: CBT, daily skills work, and family therapy.
Nexus Teen Academy runs CBT, skills groups, and weekly family therapy as one coordinated plan, reviewed weekly and measured with the C-SSRS and PHQ-9, so the easing of suicidal thinking is tracked with data.
Core therapies
1Individual therapy. CBT & TF-CBT
Individual CBT and TF-CBT targeting negative thought patterns, low energy, and any underlying trauma.
2Group therapy & coping 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.
Each teen has a named, licensed clinician, whose role and credentials you see 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
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 Nexus Teen Academy.
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.
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?
On most major private plans, residential mental-health care is a covered behavioral-health benefit. Nexus Teen Academy verifies your exact Peoria-area benefits, in and out of network, 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 suicidal-ideation treatment, free and confidential.
After discharge
Aftercare and a discharge safety plan that hold up once your teen is back in Peoria.
Before discharge, your case manager finalizes the aftercare plan, step-down therapy, an updated safety plan, and handoffs to northwest Valley providers, because the weeks just after a stay carry the highest risk.
Answers
Peoria suicidal ideation treatment 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) 485-3424Deciding on residential care
Nexus Teen Academy runs two licensed homes across the Valley from Peoria, a boys residence in North Scottsdale and a girls residence in Cave Creek, reachable on the Loop 101 and licensed for teens 12 to 17.
When suicidal thoughts are frequent or intensifying, when a plan or intent appears, after an attempt, or when outpatient care is not holding, live-in care is usually safer. Many Peoria parents first search for residential treatment for teen suicidal ideation near me; an admissions counselor can help you weigh it.
A psychiatric hospital handles the acute emergency over a few days. Residential treatment is the longer, home-like level of care that does the therapeutic work after the emergency passes.
Passive ideation is wishing you were not alive without a plan; active ideation includes thoughts of specific steps. Both matter, and the C-SSRS assessment on arrival sets the level of supervision.
Inside the program
Awake staff are present every hour, the home limits access to means, and each teen has a written safety plan from arrival, with supervision matched to the C-SSRS assessment.
Your teen meets the clinical team, completes a psychiatric evaluation and C-SSRS assessment, and helps write a safety plan; you get an early family update and a means-safety conversation for the Peoria home.
CBT, daily skills groups, one-to-one therapy, weekly family therapy, and prescriber-led care for any depression, anxiety, or trauma underneath, tracked with the C-SSRS and PHQ-9.
Yes. Accredited weekday classes with credit transfer keep a Peoria Unified or Deer Valley student on pace, so your teen returns without losing ground.
Cost, logistics & getting here
Residential mental-health care is a covered behavioral-health benefit on most major private plans. Nexus Teen Academy verifies your exact in- and out-of-network benefits at no cost first.
It depends on the level of risk and how your teen responds, and it is reviewed weekly. Most families plan for weeks rather than days, with a step-down plan set before discharge.
Both homes are across the Valley from Peoria, generally 40 to 55 minutes on the 101. Family visits and family therapy are built into the program.
The weeks right after a stay carry the highest suicide risk, so your case manager arranges step-down therapy, an updated safety plan, Peoria-area provider handoffs, and 24/7 crisis lines including 988 before your teen leaves.
The statewide picture
Arizona teen mental health, by the numbers.
teen suicidal ideation has climbed alongside the depression, anxiety, and trauma that drive it, and for a growing number of Arizona 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, 24/7Serving Peoria
teen suicidal ideation treatment within reach of Peoria, under an hour east.
Both Nexus Teen Academy homes sit on the far side of the metro from Peoria, close enough for admission and weekly in-person family sessions. Admissions answered 24/7.
Under an hour east
From Peoria, the Cave Creek girls' residence is often about 35 minutes east on the Carefree Highway, with the North Scottsdale boys' center a short distance beyond via the Loop 101.
Telehealth & travel, handled
In-person family sessions are practical for Peoria families, the Cave Creek home is a short hop on the Carefree Highway, with secure telehealth as a backup, so distance never interrupts treatment.
Aftercare mapped to your community
A skills-trained outpatient therapist and step-down care lined up near home before discharge, with school re-entry coordinated with Peoria Unified or your own district.
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 center on the map
Tap Cave Creek or Scottsdale below to load its interactive map right here.
Google Maps loads only when you choose, so nothing is shared with Google before you opt in.
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 centers
Yuma & SW Arizona
Travel, telehealth & aftercare