How to Choose a Residential Center — Worksheet

Facility / program name

This name is how the worksheet tells your saved facilities apart — one entry per facility you're considering.

1Key Contacts

Get a name and a direct line for each role before you're a week in and improvising. "Call the front desk" is not a contact plan.

Primary Clinical Contact

Name

Phone / Email

Psychiatrist / Prescriber

Name

Phone / Email

Discharge Planner

Name

Phone / Email

Insurance Care Manager

Name

Phone / Email

School Liaison (if education is involved)

Name

Phone / Email

Backup contact if #1 is out

Name

Phone / Email

Caseworker (if a state agency is involved)

Name

Phone / Email

Guardian ad Litem / Court Contact (if legal proceedings are involved)

Name

Phone / Email

2Questions That Don't Show Up on the Tour

These rarely get asked because they don't occur to anyone until they're already a problem. Ask before you commit, not after.

Answer / notes

3What Actually Matters — Category Check

Use these to narrow your list before you invest hours in calls. Check off what you've confirmed and jot down what you found.

Answer / notes

4Notes

Shari — On The Record · How to Choose a Residential Center · Not legal or medical advice — a tool for organizing your own due-diligence questions, contacts, and notes.