Beyond the continuum of care: conceptualizing day treatment for children and youth

Traditionally, any program in the middle of the continuum of care--between inpatient and outpatient treatment on the dimensions of intensity and expense--has been called day treatment. This conception has yielded a diversity of programs, some of which are nebulously articulated and poorly understood. Day treatment should be thought of as an intervention designed to respond to the deficiencies of inpatient and outpatient care. Without a clear understanding of its unique features, day treatment programs will incorporate the weaknesses of inpatient and outpatient treatment. The distinctive features of day treatment are highlighted, using examples from the literature.