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Program Directory · Program record

Washington County Mental Health Services (Polaris adolescent IOP)

Montpelier, Vermont

Level of care
Intensive outpatient (IOP), Crisis stabilization, Residential, Outpatient
Ages
Up to 22

Listed as operating. 6 sources, newest retrieved Jun 25, 2026. Record researched Jun 25, 2026.

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Published program summary

WCMHS is the Vermont designated community mental health agency for Washington County; its Polaris program (opened 2021 in Montpelier) is an adolescent intensive outpatient program built around Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The agency wraps that IOP within a full youth continuum — residential treatment homes, 24/7 crisis stabilization/hospital diversion, therapeutic foster care, and respite.

Services and populations

Specialties
Adolescent mental health, Emotional and behavioral disorders / serious emotional disturbance, Crisis stabilization and hospital diversion, Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
Modalities
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Individual, group, and family therapy, Trauma-informed care, Family-centered / home-based services
Approximate published capacity
Children, Youth & Family Services operates 5 youth residential treatment programs; per-program bed count not published on primary sources reviewed (needs review)
Parent organization
Washington County Mental Health Services, Inc. (member, Vermont Care Partners network)

Insurance and payment

Payment notes
Sliding-fee discount based on household income; per the WCMHS homepage, "No One Is Denied Services Due to Inability to Pay ... regardless of insurance status." As Vermont's designated agency for Washington County, WCMHS is a Medicaid-funded community mental health agency, but no specific commercial carrier acceptance list was published on the primary sources reviewed. Verify accepted carriers at intake. (needs review)

Credentials and public record

Public record
Not yet checked
Check with the state
Vermont Health Department certified provider list. The state runs or links this lookup. It may not list every program type.

Location

County
Washington County

Not pinned. A sufficiently precise public location could not be confirmed from the available data. This location-data gap is not a judgment about the program.

Questions to ask when you call

Not yet verified in this profile: Genders served.

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  2. How does admission work, and what do you need from the referrer?
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  5. Do you offer services in languages other than English?
  6. How are families involved in care?
  7. Do you have an opening now, and how long is the wait?
  8. Is your state license or certification current, and has anything changed since your last inspection?
  9. What will this cost, with and without insurance?

Sources

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Public record
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Youth residential programs
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