Different Levels of Adult Mental Health Services
Mental health services are available to help manage your symptoms and recover from mental illness. They include therapy, medication and support groups.
Assertive Community Treatment Teams is a multidisciplinary team consisting of psychiatrists social workers, nurses, and certified peer support. They assist people with persistent and severe mental illness live at home, rather than being hospitalized.
Treatment Options
Adults suffering from mental health issues can receive treatment at many different levels. The correct level of treatment could be crucial to a person’s recovery.
A combination of treatment strategies is the most efficient. A person in trouble with their mental health could require a residential treatment program, rather than weekly talk therapy. A person experiencing a mild depression may benefit from group therapy or self-help, but a serious issue will likely require the assistance of an accredited professional.
Crisis intervention services are typically the first step to get help for mental illnesses. These services help de-escalate an situation and put people in touch with an experienced counselor who can provide guidance and counseling. These services can be offered in a hospital or an emergency room, or by phone for those who live away from a mental health center.
Intermediate levels of treatment consist of the partial hospitalization program (also known as day treatment) and intensive outpatient treatment and regular therapy sessions with an individual. Psychiatric residential treatment programs provide an in-house setting where patients can take a break from their daily routines and focus on overcoming their issues and healing. These facilities are licensed and offer 24/7 supervision.
Assertive community treatment (ACT) is an individual-focused service that draws together a team of professionals to help adults with severe and persistent mental illness reside in the community instead of institutions. The team includes a psychiatrist, nurse and case manager, a vocational specialist and certified peer support specialists who offer a range of community-based services like medication management, support and housing assistance.
Residential or long-term inpatient treatment isn't common, but it can be an ideal option if you're not stable enough to remain at home and need more structure and supervision than outpatient treatments can offer. These programs are usually situated on a campus that is more spacious than traditional mental health facilities. They provide a variety of activities and therapies including individual and group sessions as well as recreational activities education, training, and other activities in order to improve your confidence.
Partial Hospitalization
Adults may require more intensive treatment than can be provided by traditional outpatient services, but they do not require the safety and monitoring that an inpatient psychiatric stay can provide. These adults may be dealing with mental health issues such as depression, bipolar disorder or anorexia. Our Adult Partial Hospitalization Program helps stabilize symptoms and facilitates an easy transition from inpatient to outpatient care. The program is run by a multidisciplinary group of psychotherapists, registered nurses recreation therapists and programs facilitators who are directed by psychiatrist. Patients ages 18 years and older are admitted to the program either directly from outpatient treatment or after being discharged from an inpatient psychiatric admission.
The duration of the program varies depending on your personal requirements, but it can last up to three months or more. During this period you will work with a psychiatrist to create a treatment plan specific to your needs. You will also participate in sessions of group therapy, recreational therapies and wellness activities. Management of your medication is a major component of your treatment and you will be able to meet with a nurse to discuss medication education and review.
You will continue to reside at home while undergoing treatment, but you will spend some time or days per week in a mental health facility. During your stay, you'll receive a comprehensive well-organized treatment in a safe environment. You can expect to take part in a range of therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as well as family therapy and motivational enhancement therapy. These methods are designed for you to overcome the obstacles in your path to a full recovery.
Depending on the insurance provider Part-hospitalization programs can be cheaper than inpatient care. The majority of private insurances will cover these procedures as long as you have a certificate of medical necessity from a doctor. Medicare will cover these services too, but you must meet certain requirements to be eligible.
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient mental health services are the most intense form of treatment. Inpatient care provides supervision and a well-structured environment to assist those suffering from serious issues such as major depression or Bipolar disorder. The treatment programs include regular visits with psychiatrists, therapists and a social worker. The treatment programs can also include treatment for coexisting mental illness and addiction to drugs. Inpatient treatment is offered at a psychiatric hospital or the psychiatric department of a regular hospital.
Many adults are directed to inpatient mental health care when they are experiencing an emotional crisis or breakdown. They may be in danger of hurting themselves or others, and should be kept in a secure setting until they are safe. Most often, this is due to an untreated depressive episode that has become serious. Depression can be a silent and gradually, sucking the person's energy until they are unable to be able to function. Sometimes, a person might suffer from mental health issues that calls for law enforcement or emergency services intervention, and after that they may be involuntarily committed for inpatient care.
Sometimes, a young adult will enroll in residential treatment after having an emergency, or because they've been suffering from their symptoms for a long period of time and haven't made any progress. These programs are designed to help young adults to make a long-lasting recovery. These programs help young adults get away from their homes and other unhealthy environments, and provide a structured and supportive environment in which they can focus on their issues.
These programs can run for up to 30 days. The programs include educational sessions and therapeutic activities about mental health disorders and addiction. They also teach life skills and provide assistance, based on the needs of each person.
Many insurance companies will pay for the cost of mental health inpatient treatment. mental health screening is important to talk with your insurance provider about the coverage you're entitled to and the various kinds of treatment for mental health inpatients. If you do not have insurance, there are a number of organizations that offer low-cost or free inpatient treatment.
Outpatient Treatment
As the name suggests the outpatient treatment program allows patients to remain at home and work during their recovery. It's an important step-down option from residential rehabilitation and serves as a basis for ongoing care following the residential mental health services. Outpatient rehab is less controlled than inpatient care and are ideally suited to people who already live in an environment that is supportive and has no negative influences, and are willing to take responsibility for their recovery.
Outpatient programs provide a more flexible schedule that makes it easier for participants to maintain commitments to work, school and family. The intensity of basic outpatient therapy, intense outpatient programming and part-hospitalization programming differs. Partial hospitalization is the most intense of these programs, requiring five to six hours a day of treatment, five days a week. These programs aid in stabilizing behavior in early recovery and are often the intermediary to residential treatment.
Most inpatient and residential mental health centers provide some form of outpatient therapy, and some have an entire array of outpatient services for their clients. Oftentimes, these programs offer support groups that enable participants to identify common triggers and learn coping strategies that can be beneficial in a stressful or crisis period.
Many outpatient programs also include an element of family therapy. Sessions for groups and individuals can be focused on a wide range of issues, including parenting, school or work issues and relationships. Participants can bring those problems into the treatment setting and apply the lessons they learn to their everyday lives.
It's important to prepare for a residential or an inpatient mental health program by contacting the facility and ensuring that the required paperwork is completed and all your affairs settled prior to the date of your entry. It's a good idea in the process of preparing for a residential treatment program, to contact loved relatives to inform them what you're hoping to achieve during your time at the rehabilitation facility and ask for their support. Generally speaking, it is possible to visit relatives who are receiving inpatient or residential treatment. However, this varies from program to program.