Los Angeles Teen Treatment
When a teenager is in crisis, parents need more than a weekly therapy appointment. They need a program that can provide real stability with the clinical depth to match what their teen is facing.
Contact Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center today to learn more.
Los Angeles Teen Treatment
When a teenager is in crisis, parents need more than a weekly therapy appointment. They need a program that can provide real stability with the clinical depth to match what their teen is facing.
Contact Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center today to learn more.
Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center is a licensed residential program in Agoura Hills, California, serving teens ages 12–18. We’re 35 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Close enough for regular family involvement, far enough to offer a calm, focused environment away from the pressures of home.
Contact us today to learn more about our teen treatment centers in California.
Why LA Families Choose Hillcrest
Los Angeles has no shortage of mental health providers. What it often lacks is a residential program that combines individualized care and a genuinely therapeutic environment.
Hillcrest offers something different. Our program is small and intentional. Doctoral-level clinicians lead treatment. Psychiatrists manage medication on-site. The campus feels like a home. And families stay involved throughout.
LA families also choose Hillcrest because we’re close. A 35-minute drive means parents can attend family therapy, participate in treatment milestones, and visit regularly without the burden of cross-country travel.
What We Treat
Hillcrest treats the full range of adolescent mental health and behavioral conditions, including:
- Depression and mood disorders
- Anxiety disorders, OCD, and panic
- Trauma and PTSD
- Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Eating disorders
- Self-harm
- Substance abuse and dual diagnosis
- Oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder
- Suicidal ideation
Many teens arrive with more than one diagnosis. Our program is built to treat complexity, not route teens out when their presentation is complicated.
Our Treatment Approach
Every teen at Hillcrest receives an individualized treatment plan. No two plans look alike. What follows are the core modalities our clinical team uses across all programs.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is the gold standard for adolescents who struggle with emotional dysregulation, self-harm, and interpersonal conflict. Teens learn concrete skills for tolerating distress, managing emotions, and navigating relationships. They are able to practice the skills they learn in group settings and daily life on campus.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps teens identify the thought patterns driving their symptoms and replace them with more accurate, functional ones. It’s effective across a wide range of conditions, from depression and anxiety to OCD and trauma.
EMDR Therapy
For teens carrying trauma, EMDR targets distressing memories at their source. It works by helping the brain reprocess stuck experiences, reducing the emotional charge attached to painful memories without requiring teens to narrate them in detail. EMDR at Hillcrest is delivered by trained clinicians as part of an integrated trauma treatment plan.
Family Therapy
A teen’s recovery happens within a family system. We include parents and family members in structured therapy throughout treatment. Family sessions address communication, relationship repair, and how the family environment can best support the teen’s progress after discharge.
Expressive Therapy
Healing doesn’t only happen in the therapy room. Expressive therapy, like art and music therapy, give teens ways to process and grow that verbal therapy can’t always reach.
Equine Therapy
Equine therapy can involve therapeutic horseback riding and caring for horses with feeding and farm chores. By working with horses, teens learn to develop empathy, self-confidence, and healthy coping skills.
Academic Support for LA Students
A residential stay should not cost a teen their academic year. Hillcrest maintains an on-site educational program staffed by credentialed teachers who coordinate with your teen’s Los Angeles-area school.
Credits are tracked, coursework continues, and a re-entry plan is in place before discharge. Whether your teen attends a LAUSD school, a private school, or a charter program, we work to keep their academic standing intact.
Academic Support for LA Students
A residential stay should not cost a teen their academic year. Hillcrest maintains an on-site educational program staffed by credentialed teachers who coordinate with your teen’s Los Angeles-area school.
Credits are tracked, coursework continues, and a re-entry plan is in place before discharge. Whether your teen attends a LAUSD school, a private school, or a charter program, we work to keep their academic standing intact.
Transportation From Los Angeles to Hillcrest
Hillcrest’s campus is located in Agoura Hills, accessible from virtually every part of greater Los Angeles. From most LA neighborhoods, the drive is 30 to 45 minutes via the 101 freeway.
For families who need it, we can assist with transport coordination at the time of admission. Our admissions team will walk you through logistics when you call.
Transportation From Los Angeles to Hillcrest
Hillcrest’s campus is located in Agoura Hills, accessible from virtually every part of greater Los Angeles. From most LA neighborhoods, the drive is 30 to 45 minutes via the 101 freeway.
For families who need it, we can assist with transport coordination at the time of admission. Our admissions team will walk you through logistics when you call.
Family Involvement for LA Parents
We believe parents are part of treatment, not bystanders to it. LA families benefit from our proximity. They are generally close enough to attend weekly family therapy and be present at key points in their teen’s care.
We keep parents informed and involved throughout the stay. You’ll have direct contact with your teen’s treatment team, and discharge planning begins early enough for families to prepare.
Distance from home also helps. Many teens struggling with mental health crises do better when they’re removed from the environment where symptoms are more likely to escalate.
Insurance and Admissions for Los Angeles Families
Hillcrest accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UMR, and United Healthcare. Residential mental health treatment is typically covered under your plan’s behavioral health benefits.
Our admissions team verifies coverage before your teen arrives and explains any out-of-pocket costs upfront. Admissions coordinators can typically complete a clinical screening and insurance verification within the same day.
Hillcrest's Agoura Hills Campus
Hillcrest is located in a quiet residential area in the western San Fernando Valley, surrounded by open land and hills. The campus is designed to feel like a home rather than a facility.
Teens have comfortable accommodations, shared living spaces, access to outdoor areas, and a daily structure that balances therapy, academics, recreation, and rest.
Greater Los Angeles Neighborhoods We Serve
Hillcrest regularly serves families from across Los Angeles County and the surrounding region, including:
- Santa Monica
- Brentwood
- Pacific Palisades
- Malibu
- Calabasas
- Woodland Hills
- Encino
- Sherman Oaks
- Studio City
- Burbank
- Glendale
- Pasadena
- Long Beach
- Torrance
- Manhattan Beach
- Redondo Beach
- Beverly Hills
- West Hollywood
- Silver Lake
- Los Feliz
- Hollywood
- San Fernando Valley
We also serve families from Ventura County, Orange County, and San Diego, as well as out-of-state families seeking a California-based residential program.
Find Mental Health Treatment for Teens in Agoura Hills
If your teenager is struggling and outpatient care isn’t enough, Hillcrest is ready to help. Our residential program gives Los Angeles teens the structured environment they need to stabilize and move forward.
Contact us today to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Hillcrest is a therapeutic residential program, not a locked psychiatric unit. Teens live in a structured, supervised home-like environment with a clinical team on-site around the clock.
About 35 miles from downtown LA, typically a 30 to 45 minute drive via the 101 freeway, depending on traffic.
We serve teens ages 12–18.
Yes. Family visits are scheduled as part of the treatment plan. Families are encouraged to stay involved, and LA's proximity makes regular visits practical.
Most teens stay between 30 and 90 days. Length of stay depends on the teen's clinical needs and pace of progress. Your teen's treatment team will discuss expectations throughout the stay.
This is common. Our admissions team has experience guiding families through this conversation. Call us; we can help you understand your options and how to approach it with your teen.
Yes. We specialize in dual diagnosis treatment, addressing both the psychiatric condition and the substance use together, rather than treating one while ignoring the other.
In many cases, we can complete intake and begin the admission process within 24 to 48 hours. Call us to get started.
Meet Our Distinguished Care Team
Executive Director
Psychiatrist
Physician
Director of Education
Begin Teen Mental Health Treatment in California
Julia Gindi
Executive Director
With decades of experience in mental health and addiction treatment, Julia Gindi is dedicated to helping teens and their families navigate life’s challenges. She specializes in fostering healthy boundaries, strengthening family dynamics, conflict resolution, emotional coping, and self-esteem development.
Julia attended Southern Illinois University and is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). She has worked across all facets of residential treatment, playing a key role in developing specialized programs that promote long-term healing.
A compassionate and dedicated professional, Julia has helped over 2,000 individuals reclaim their lives. Outside of her work, she finds joy in gardening and nature. As a proud grandmother of 14, her passion for creating positive change extends beyond her career, reinforcing her commitment to supporting individuals and families on their journey to healing and balance.
Dr. Michael Louie
Psychiatrist
Dr. Michael Louie is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 13 years of experience in mental health care. He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in 2011 and completed his psychiatry residency at the Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium. Throughout his career, Dr. Louie has been affiliated with medical facilities such as Southern California Hospital at Hollywood and Los Angeles Community Hospital. He has practiced in various California locations, including Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, and Tustin. Dr. Louie is known for his holistic approach to mental health, tailoring treatment plans to meet the unique needs of each patient.
Dr. Shilpa Jindani
Physician
Dr. Shilpa Jindani is a board-certified diplomat of the American Academy of Family Medicine. She studied at the Sawai Man Singh Medical College in India, later completing her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Vermont. Dr. Jindani currently practices as a family medicine physician in California. She is also the medical director at Health Net.
Dr. Jindani is a former staff physician at Ventura County Medical Center. She is also a member of both the American Academy of Family Physicians and the California Medical Association. Dr. Jindani also serves as the Vice President of Tri-Vally Indian Medical Association. In addition, she is on the medical advisory board of a startup, eFind-a-Doc.
Dr. Jindani believes that integrative and preventative practices as well as mental health care lead to the best outcomes for overall health maintenance. Taking care of her patients is her passion. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and yoga.
Mark Paladini
Director of Education
Mark Paladini brings 12 years of experience teaching at the university level where he was celebrated for his curriculum design and lesson planning for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to heading the undergraduate program that he co-created at Regent University, he also developed and ran a highly successful online master’s program for high school teachers. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle and is a graduate of the Los Angeles Teaching Fellows Program. Mr. Paladini also served on the recruitment team during his time at the university which gives him a unique advantage to help students prepare for what is needed to get into college.
Prior to teaching at the university level, Mr. Paladini taught and developed courses for UCLA Extension, taught middle school English for LAUSD, and mentored students at a National Blue Ribbon Elementary School in Los Angeles. He also has extensive experience in the entertainment industry (Fun Fact: Mark Paladini is an award winning Casting Director!) and brings his theatre skills into the classroom to create an engaging atmosphere where students enjoy the process of learning.