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Back-to-school season continues to be one of the most stressful times for kids and teens.
As children across North Texas prepare to head back to school, many families are feeling the familiar mix of excitement and anxiety. New classrooms, unfamiliar teachers, shifting routines—these transitions can be especially overwhelming for children still navigating the emotional aftershocks of the pandemic.
And for some, the stress reveals deeper struggles with anxiety, depression, or trauma. That’s where Millwood Hospital in Arlington steps in with comfort, confidence, and care.
Under the leadership of CEO Loren Fouch, Millwood has redefined what compassionate, trauma-informed pediatric mental health care looks like. Fouch made it her mission to ensure that kids as young as five—often overlooked in the mental health system—have access to the support they need, especially during life’s biggest transitions.
With a renewed focus on trauma-informed care and a leadership team that views each child through a lens of compassion, the hospital is leading the way in pediatric mental health, just when families need it most.
The Weight of a New School Year
Even under the best of circumstances, back-to-school season is one of the biggest transitions in a child’s year. But for kids still processing the ripple effects of the pandemic, it’s become even more emotionally complex.
“Transitions are hard for all of us, but they’re especially tough on kids,” Fouch highlighted. “Everything changes—the routine, the expectations, the environment. Even moving from one grade to another can feel like an entirely different world.”
Children who started school during the pandemic missed foundational moments of development. Now in late elementary grades, many of them are struggling with social and emotional maturity, classroom stamina, and managing stress.
“They’re behind in ways we’re just starting to understand,” Fouch said. “Delayed social-emotional skills, increased anxiety, difficulty adapting—these are the post-pandemic realities we’re seeing across the country.”
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Millwood Hospital offers free mental health assessments for teens and children.
Mental health challenges in children often show up differently than they do in adults. And while some back-to-school jitters are normal, Millwood’s clinicians advise parents to watch for signs of deeper issues: irritability, changes in sleep or appetite, outbursts, trouble concentrating, or even regressions like bedwetting or toileting difficulties.
“A lot of times, what looks like ‘acting out’ is really a child’s way of saying ‘I’m overwhelmed,’” Fouch explained. “They may not have the words to express their fear, especially when exposed to distressing content on the news or social media that they don’t fully understand. We have to remember—they’re still developing the tools to cope.”
To ease the transition, Fouch recommends parents begin preparing at least two weeks before the first day of school. Establish bedtime and wake-up routines, practice the morning schedule, including getting dressed, eating breakfast, and even driving the school route, and rehearse lunchbox routines for younger kids.
“Kindergarteners, for example, may feel overwhelmed just trying to open a juice box in a loud cafeteria,” she says. “The more we can normalize parts of the day in advance, the more confident kids feel when the big day arrives.”
And perhaps most importantly, Fouch reminds parents to go easy on themselves. “There’s no manual for raising kids—especially not in a post-pandemic world. Just the fact that you’re paying attention and asking for help means you’re already on the right path.”
A New Identity for a Trusted Name
As families navigate these back-to-school stressors, it’s clear that children need more than just patience and routine—they need access to specialized mental health care that understands their unique developmental needs.
That’s exactly the vision Fouch has brought to Millwood. Under her leadership, Millwood isn’t just responding to crises—it’s redefining what compassionate, age-appropriate behavioral health care looks like in North Texas.
Millwood Hospital
Millwood Hospital is one of the only area facilities that fills the gap of providing mental health services for kids as young as five.
“Millwood is not just a facility,” Fouch said. “It’s a place where children and their families are met with compassion, dignity, and personalized care. We don’t see a diagnosis—we see a child with parents who are trying their best.”
With years of experience working with children and adolescents as a social worker, Fouch understands the deep, unmet need for comprehensive mental health care for kids. Under her leadership, Millwood has become a trauma-informed facility from top to bottom.
“Every staff member, not just clinicians, is trained in trauma-informed care,” Fouch explained. “We approach patients by asking, ‘What happened to you?’ not ‘What’s wrong with you?’ That shift changes everything.”
Understanding Millwood’s Different Levels of Care
Parents are often terrified when they think about psychiatric care for their children. “They worry their child will be hospitalized long-term or isolated,” Fouch said. “That’s not what we do. We’re here for stabilization—to help kids get safe, get support, and go home stronger.”
Millwood offers a full spectrum of care, from short-term crisis intervention to working through and unpacking deep-seated trauma.
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Individual and group therapy are just some of the many methods offered by Millwood Hospital for teens and children.
Inpatient Care
Intensive Inpatient Acute Care: Inpatient care is for children who are a danger to themselves or others and need 24-hour monitoring and crisis intervention. “This is the ICU of mental health,” Fouch explained. This level of care is meant to be short-term with the goal of crisis stabilization.
Teen Detox: This program is also available for substance abuse treatment or compulsive behaviors for those ages 12-17. This level of care combines detoxification, the use of specialty groups and a 12-step program to help recover.
Outpatient Care
Millwood also operates upscale outpatient facilities, where children can receive a more customized plan of care in a less restrictive environment.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): This level of care is a bridge between inpatient and outpatient care. Children receive 20–25 hours of therapy per week but sleep in their own beds. Millwood’s PHP even includes a school, allowing kids to maintain a sense of routine and practice coping skills in a school-like setting.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): IOP puts less focus on medication and more on therapy and skill-building. This is a great transition for children who are beginning to stabilize but still need support.
And importantly, if a child doesn’t require Millwood’s level of care, the team connects families to the right resources—whether that’s another mental health provider, school-based support, or outpatient therapy.
Helping Families Feel Safe, Seen, and Supported
Today, Millwood Hospital is a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health—recently awarded Best Hospital by a local Fort Worth area publication. But what sets it apart most is the culture of care Fouch has created.
“Every orientation I tell our staff, it’s an honor to treat our patients,” she says. “On the worst day of someone’s life, they chose us. We have to be worthy of that trust.”
Millwood isn’t just where kids go when they’re in crisis—it’s where healing begins.
Millwood Hospital is open 24/7 and offers no-cost mental health assessments. Assessments are also available during business hours at Millwood’s outpatient clinics. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit millwoodhospital.com.
