One of the first questions parents ask when considering a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) for their teen is, “What happens with school?” It is a valid concern. Between the emotional weight of seeking treatment and the logistics of a new daily schedule, academics can feel like one more thing to worry about.
The reassuring answer is that school does not stop during PHP. At HavenRise Academy, academic support is built into the program from day one. Our education team works directly with your teen, their school, and your family to create an individualized plan that keeps students on track while they focus on getting well.
Here is how the process works.
What Happens With Academics Once Your Teen Enrolls
When your student begins at HavenRise, you will speak with the educator who will be working with your child. They will ask questions about your teen’s current educational pathway and suggest new options if needed. That may look like paper assignments from their school, a virtual learning platform, or enrolling in the Hospital Homebound Program within their local county.
Each pathway is individualized. The goal is to make sure no student falls behind on schoolwork while they are in treatment. Throughout the process, our educators help facilitate and navigate the education system so your child has every opportunity to stay on track.
The First Day in the Education Block
During the first education block, your teen meets one-on-one with the educator to talk about school. They go through a questionnaire covering academic strengths, areas of difficulty, social skills, organizational habits, and comfort with technology. The educator will also ask about your teen’s relationships with their teachers to understand whether those dynamics are affecting academic performance.
By the end of that conversation, the educator has enough information to reach out to your teen’s school counselor and begin building a plan.
Working With Your Teen’s School
The educator connects with the school counselor to discuss the options available to your student.
Public schools often require students to enroll in a Hospital Homebound Program, a reduced version of their current academic load. This typically looks like an online program that students work through independently. If your child needs to enroll in Hospital Homebound, an IEP meeting will be required, but it is specific to the program — it opens when they enter and closes when they complete it. This does not affect their enrollment at their home school, and they will not risk losing their spot.
Private and charter schools are not required to offer Hospital Homebound programs, and the education plans vary widely from campus to campus. The educator will work directly with the school to determine the best path forward.
If your student is already enrolled in an online program such as FLVS (Florida Virtual School) or follows a homeschool curriculum, they can continue in their current pathway with minor adjustments. Our education team will coordinate with you to ensure the schedule and workload align with your treatment plan.
Where Academics Fit Into the Treatment Day
The daily schedule at HavenRise is rooted in therapeutic groups, including DBT, ACT, expressive therapy, and psychotherapy. Later in the day, students have dedicated time for academics. After lunch, students receive two hours of independent work time with daily check-ins on progress.
Our educators track data to ensure no student is stagnant in their academic progress and provide monthly reports so parents have clear visibility into how their child is doing. If you need more frequent updates, that is something you can discuss with the education team.To see how the full treatment day is structured, visit our typical day page.
What Happens When Your Teen Moves to IOP
When students transition from PHP into the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which runs half days, they are able to complete academics outside of the program. The educator hands the education plan over to parents to monitor, just as you would during a regular school year.
If your child attends a brick-and-mortar school, they have the option of returning to campus after noon to attend afternoon classes. This is at your discretion as the guardian and will be discussed when completing the education dismissal plan.
How Parents Can Help During This Period
While the education team handles the school coordination, there are a few things parents can do to support the process:
- Share any existing IEPs, 504 plans, or accommodations with the educator early.
- Let the educator know about any ongoing issues with specific teachers or classes.
- Keep expectations realistic — the priority during PHP is stabilization, and a reduced academic load is normal and temporary.
- Stay in communication with the education team, especially around grading deadlines or standardized testing windows.
- Reassure your teen that keeping up with school during treatment is manageable and that the team is there to help.
School Should Not Be a Barrier to Getting Help
For many families, concern about academics is one of the reasons they delay treatment. Some teens are already struggling with school avoidance before they enter a program, and parents worry that PHP will make the gap worse. In practice, the opposite is often true. The structure, individualized support, and direct coordination with schools help many students regain academic confidence during treatment rather than lose it.
If you are weighing whether your teen can afford to step away from school for treatment, the better question may be whether they can afford not to.
