Treatment Programming For Teens During The Summer
Located in the scenic hills of Los Angeles, California, our treatment program is the perfect summer opportunity for your adolescent to focus on wellness during a school-free season, when time, space, and support are finally on your side.
No Late Nights. No Scrolling. Just Structure & Support.
At Hillcrest Adolescent, we offer a specialized Teen Summer Mental Health Program designed to help teens ages 12–17 address emotional and behavioral challenges in a nurturing, structured environment. Located in the scenic hills of Agoura, California, our summer program is a unique opportunity to focus on wellness during a school-free season, when time, space, and support are finally on your side.
With no classes to distract and no digital overload to compete with, summer is often the ideal time to begin or continue mental health treatment. At Hillcrest, we help teens reclaim their sense of self through evidence-based therapy, experiential learning, and compassionate, individualized care. The result? A summer that doesn’t just pass—it transforms.
Clinically-Driven Teen Program Model
Every teen has different needs, challenges, and goals—and effective treatment should reflect that.
Whether your teen is stepping into treatment for the first time, transitioning from a higher level of care, or looking to maintain progress in a more flexible format, we provide the right combination of structure, support, and clinical expertise to meet them exactly where they are in their healing journey.
Our clinically-driven program model combines our residential treatment program with an approach that sets a foundation to help your teen and family create long-term success.
The First Phase: Stabilization and Assessment
In our initial phase, your teen will receive a thorough assessment to determine their needs. This includes evaluations by our team of licensed professionals and input from you.
The focus will be on stabilizing their symptoms, developing trust, and creating a personalized treatment plan.
In this phase, we dive deeper into understanding the underlying causes of your teen’s struggles.
Evidence-based therapies and therapeutic activities help your child identify triggers, build coping mechanisms, and work toward emotional and behavioral growth.
Recovery extends beyond the individual. This phase includes family therapy sessions and preparation for life after treatment. The goal is to strengthen relationships, rebuild trust, and equip both you and your teen with tools for a successful reintegration at home.
Equine Therapy & Experiential Activities
Healing doesn’t only happen in a therapist’s office—it often begins when teens are given the chance to move, explore, and connect in new ways.
At Hillcrest, we believe in the power of experiential and holistic therapies to unlock emotional growth, build confidence, and foster a deeper sense of self-awareness. By engaging the body and mind together, these therapies help teens process complex emotions, develop healthy coping strategies, and build trust—in themselves, in others, and in the world around them.
Our experiential approach brings treatment to life, offering opportunities for meaningful breakthroughs beyond traditional talk therapy.
Equine
Therapy
Teens engage with horses in a safe, supervised setting, learning to communicate through body language, emotional regulation, and calm presence. Horses offer instant feedback and require vulnerability and trust—powerful elements of the healing process.
Surf
Therapy
We offer surf therapy to help teens overcome fear, practice mindfulness, and tap into a sense of freedom and accomplishment. With professional surf instructors and clinical supervision, teens ride the waves while learning resilience and perseverance in real time.
Outdoor & Creative Therapies
In addition to equine therapy, our summer program includes recreational and expressive activities that allow teens to explore their identity and build healthy outlets including art and music therapy, hiking and nature walks, yoga & movement therapy, and more.
Academic Balance, Not Burnout: Learning Support All Summer Long
While emotional healing is the focus of our summer program, we understand that academic concerns don’t disappear just because it’s summer. That’s why we offer structured educational support to help teens stay on track without adding unnecessary stress.
Our Director of Education, Mark Paladini, brings over a decade of experience teaching at the university level and developing award-winning curriculum for students and teachers alike. He has taught everything from middle school English to graduate-level seminars and served on college recruitment teams, giving him a deep understanding of what students need at every level of learning.
At Hillcrest, Mark works closely with each teen to:
- Coordinate with their home school when needed
- Support catch-up or enrichment goals
- Provide structure for daily learning
- Create an engaging environment that respects emotional needs
Learning should be about growth, not pressure. Our academic program supports both intellectual and emotional development, helping teens leave treatment feeling balanced, capable, and prepared.
Why Families Trust Hillcrest
At Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center, we don’t just treat symptoms—we treat teens as whole people. Our approach combines evidence-based clinical care with holistic therapies, individualized education, and meaningful family involvement. From the first phone call to the final transition, we walk with families every step of the way.
What sets us apart:
- CARF-accredited treatment facility
- Multidisciplinary staff of licensed therapists, psychiatrists, nurses, and educators
- Beautiful, private setting in the hills of Agoura, CA
- Low client-to-staff ratio for personalized attention
- Trauma-informed, gender-responsive, and culturally sensitive care
- Engaging, teen-friendly environment that promotes trust and growth
Meet Our Expert Clinical, Medical, and Academic Treatment Team
Our treatment team is here to provide the best care for your child. They provide for your child’s medical, psychiatric, educational, behavioral, and emotional needs throughout their treatment program. Learn more about our adolescent treatment team today.
Executive Director
Psychiatrist
Physician
Director of Education
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What Families Say About Our
Teen Treatment Center
Discover how Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center has made a positive impact on teens and their families.
Read testimonials from those who have experienced our comprehensive adolescent residential treatment programs.
We Accept Most Major Insurances
At Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center, we accept a variety of insurance plans to make our comprehensive teen treatment center accessible to families. Verify your insurance today to ensure your adolescent receives the care they need at one of the leading teen treatment centers 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.