When your young adult is struggling with mental health, motivation, or life direction, it can feel like every option is either too much or not enough. They’ve probably tried outpatient therapy or a college support program, only to spiral again. Maybe they’ve shut down entirely. Maybe you’re just exhausted from playing detective, advocate, and parent all at once.
At Cornerstones of Maine, we specialize in helping young adults move from stuck to stable. Our program offers two levels of care: Residential Treatment and Transitional Living, both tailored for individuals between the ages of 18 and 30. Each is designed to meet young adults where they are developmentally and emotionally, offering different types of support depending on their level of need.
If you're unsure which one fits your child’s current situation, you're in the right place.
What is Residential Treatment at Cornerstones?
Our Residential Treatment program is often the starting point for young adults in significant distress. These are the clients who feel paralyzed by anxiety or depression, who have withdrawn from daily life, or who are caught in chronic cycles of avoidance, shutdown, or conflict.
At Cornerstones, Residential Treatment provides a safe, structured environment that helps clients stabilize. It is not just about keeping young adults safe. It is about helping them make sense of their inner world, understand the emotional patterns that have derailed their progress, and begin to build new coping strategies in a setting that is relational, grounded, and therapeutically rich.
Key Features of Cornerstones’ Residential Treatment:
- A home-like setting with 24/7 staff support
- Daily individual and group therapy
- Family therapy and systemic support from the beginning
- Skill development in emotional regulation and executive functioning
- Specialized support for neurodivergent clients and those with complex mental health needs
In this phase, young adults are often learning how to explore identity safely, and re-engage with the idea that life can be navigated differently.
What is Transitional Living at Cornerstones?
Transitional Living is best suited for young adults who are ready to step out of the therapeutic bubble and begin testing the waters of real-life responsibility. While Residential Treatment provides containment and stabilization, Transitional Living is about practice, independence, and integration.
Clients in this phase typically have more insight, are emotionally regulated more often than not, and are ready to start building a sustainable life. They may be working part-time, taking classes, volunteering, or exploring new interests. They are still in treatment, but the therapeutic focus shifts toward vocational coaching, academic planning, and applying the emotional and relational tools they have started to build.
Key Features of Cornerstones’ Transitional Living:
- Apartment-style living in Portland, Maine, with wraparound staff support
- Continued individual therapy and clinical oversight
- Weekly parent support calls and biweekly family therapy sessions
- Emphasis on real-world functioning, including job readiness and college success
- Executive functioning coaching and self-management support
This phase is a highly structured and clinically informed launchpad, designed to help young adults make mistakes safely, receive feedback, and gradually take ownership of their lives.
How Do I Know Which Level My Child Needs?
Parents often ask us, "Where should we begin?" There is no universal answer, but there are some indicators that can help guide the decision.
Many families begin in Residential Treatment and then move into Transitional Living once the client is more regulated and ready for increased independence. However, some clients begin directly in Transitional Living when that level of care is appropriate.
Why the Sequence Matters
Some programs treat Residential and Transitional Living as interchangeable, but they are not the same thing. Residential Treatment lays the groundwork for change by creating a safe container for deep emotional and psychological work. Transitional Living builds on that foundation by allowing clients to apply what they have learned in the context of real-world demands and decisions.
Without the stabilization and insight gained in Residential, a young adult may struggle to benefit from Transitional Living. And without the opportunity to practice those skills in a lower-stakes environment, progress made in Residential may not hold up under pressure.
At Cornerstones, we take a phased approach because we know this process is not linear. It is layered, and it takes time.
You’re Not Expected to Know All This On Your Own
If you’re reading this and still feeling uncertain, take a breath. You are not expected to figure this out alone.
Whether your young adult needs the structure and containment of Residential Treatment, the accountability and independence of Transitional Living, or a thoughtful progression through both, we are here to help you find the right fit.
Reach out to us. We’re here to listen, support, and walk this path with you.
