Adolescent & Child Treatment

Donna Macumber Melanie Connell
Melanie Connell joined WBI as a therapist in 2010, on the adolescent acute unit. Her experience includes working in private practice for several years in Colorado, where she counseled individuals, teenagers, marriages, and families in the areas of depression, anger, anxiety, low self-esteem, communication, and conflict resolution. Also in Colorado, she developed a curriculum and taught a court-mandated parenting-after-divorce class, and facilitated a divorce recovery group for children. Mrs. Connell also worked as a recreational therapist. She has a master's degree in counseling from Denver Seminary and a bachelor's degree in graphic design from Colorado State University.

Lori Hicks Lori Hicks
Lori Hicks is a provisional licensed professional counselor with a master's degree in school counseling from Montana State University. Throughout her career, she has linked people with local health services in Wyoming and Montana communities to assure continuity of care. Ms. Hicks joined Wyoming Behavioral Institute in March 2010. She also worked as a federal probation officer, and provided school counseling services, while living in Montana. Her skills include working with individuals resistant to receiving assistance from healthcare professionals, crisis intervention and case management.

Zachary Bird, PCSW Zachary Bird, PCSW
Mr. Bird is a provisional licensed professional counselor who joined Wyoming Behavioral Institute’s staff in 2009. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Utah State University and his master's degree in social work from the University of South Carolina. Among his awards and honors is a child welfare scholarship. Mr. Bird has worked for North Platte Home Health in Casper as a social worker and Central Wyoming Counseling as a counselor for children in elementary school and their families. Mr. Bird is working on WBI’s children's unit.

Childhood should be filled with joy, fulfillment, growth and nurturing care. Unfortunately for many young people, growing up can be a stressful, traumatic and a painful experience. Help is available for children, pre-teens, and adolescents needing mental health treatment or intervention.

Program Philosophy

We believe that all children do well if they can. We also recognize that many of our youth have had significant trauma in their past lives. Our goal is to help children, teens and their families develop tools and strategies to be successful in treatment. All children and adolescents have unique strengths and talents. Their problems are opportunities for growth. Partnerships between staff and our young patients are predicated on the belief that it is essential that families and caregivers be involved. Maintaining an environment that is trauma informed and that promotes healing and respect for all is vital to successful outcomes for treatment.

Wyoming Behavioral Institute offers the following to children, adolescents and their families:

  • Highly-skilled admission staff
  • Free 24-hour information and referral service
  • Immediately available free assessments for families
  • Crisis stabilization
  • Accessible inpatient treatment

Wyoming Behavioral Institute's treatment components include:

  • Comprehensive evaluation and assessment
  • History and physical
  • Psychiatric evaluation
  • Psychiatric social evaluation
  • Nurse assessment
  • Full-spectrum care that focuses on the whole person, not just the illness
  • Individual therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Recreational therapy
  • Medication Management
  • Case Management
  • Discharge planning

Education Program
Wyoming Behavioral Institute has a school on site for elementary, junior high, and high school students. Certified, experienced teachers and aides staff our school. We provide an educational component because we recognize that school is an important part of your child's life, however, the primary focus at WBI is in treating the emotional and or behavioral issues that resulted in hospitalization. Once these issues begin to stabilize, children often can begin to make progress in school. With your permission, our Education Coordinator will work with your child's school to coordinate their education needs.

Wyoming Behavioral Institute's education program components include:

  • Trauma-informed care focused on compassion
  • Certified teaching professionals
  • Tutoring available
  • Academic testing provided
  • Behavior-oriented model
  • Highly structured environment
  • Emphasis is place on learning to work well in groups as well as independently
  • Students become contributors to their classrooms in cooperative ways
  • Learning materials can be provided by mail or fax if schools want assignments to be completed by acute child and adolescent patients
  • Individual Education Program (IEP) requirements are met if children come to WBI with IEPs
  • WBI is not an accredited learning institution but is recognized by the state of Wyoming, successful functioning in school is a treatment outcome for most patients
  • Conference calls can be scheduled with school officials responsible for student performance (as permitted by information sharing releases)
  • Some academic setbacks can be expected while patients devote time and energy to treatment
  • Group therapy, outdoor and indoor play, relaxation, arts and crafts, and life skills training are among other teaching tools used at WBI to help with treatment