Different Levels of Adult Mental Health Services
Mental health services are available to help you deal with your symptoms and recover from mental illness. This includes therapy, medication and support groups.
Assertive Community Treatment Teams is a multidisciplinary team consisting of psychiatrists social workers, nurses, and certified peer support. They help people who have chronic and severe mental illness stay at home rather than be hospitalized.
Treatment Options
There are a variety of kinds of treatment options for adults with mental health issues. More of treatment can be crucial to someone's recovery.
A combination of treatments can be most effective. A person who is in a mental crisis may require a residential treatment program, instead of weekly talk therapy. A person in a minor slump can benefit from group support or self help, but a serious issue will likely require the assistance of a licensed professional.
Crisis intervention services are usually the first step to get help for mental illness. These services help to calm the situation and put people in contact with a professional therapist to receive counseling and advice. These services can be provided in a hospital or an emergency room, or even via phone for those who live far from a mental treatment center.
Intermediate levels of treatment consist of the partial hospitalization program (also known as day treatment), intensive outpatient treatment and regular therapy sessions with an individual. Psychiatric residential treatment programs provide an in-house environment where patients can take a break from their everyday lives and concentrate on overcoming issues and healing. These facilities are licensed, and provide 24/7 supervision.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a person centered service that brings together a team of professionals to help adults with persistent and severe mental illness reside in the community rather than institutions. The team comprises a nurse, a psychiatrist and a case manager vocational specialists, and certified peer support experts who provide a variety community-based services, including medication management, housing assistance and assistance.
Inpatient treatment that is long-term or residential is not common however it is an ideal option if you're not stable enough to remain at home and require more structure and supervision than outpatient treatment can provide. These programs are usually located on a campus that is more spacious than traditional psychiatric hospitals. They provide a range of activities and therapies including individual and group sessions, as well as recreational activities, education, and training to help you improve your confidence.
Partial Hospitalization
Certain adults may require more intensive treatment than conventional outpatient services, but they don't require the security and surveillance of an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Adults may be struggling with mental health issues such as depression, bipolar disorder or anorexia. Our Adult Partial Hospitalization Program can help stabilize symptoms and provide an easy transition into outpatient treatment. The program is staffed with a multidisciplinary team that includes registered nurses, psychotherapists, recreational therapy and facilitators of the program under the supervision of psychiatrist. Patients ages 18 years and older are admitted to the program either directly from outpatient care or after they've been discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospital.
The duration of this program will vary based on your needs. It may last for three months or more. During this time, you will work closely with a psychiatrist and psychotherapist to create a customized treatment plan. You will also participate in group therapy as well as recreational therapies and wellness activities. Medication management will be a key aspect of your treatment, and you will meet with a nurse for review and education on your medication.
You will remain at your home during treatment, however, you will spend a few hours to several days a week in an institution for mental health. During your stay you will receive a comprehensive, structured treatment in a safe and comfortable environment. You are likely to participate in a variety of therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) as well as family therapy, and motivational enhancement therapy. These therapies are designed to help you overcome the challenges that stand in your way of a full recovery.
Depending on the insurance provider The partial-hospitalization program may be less expensive than inpatient care. Most private insurances will cover these treatments if you have a proof of medical necessity from your doctor. Medicare will cover these services however, you must meet certain criteria to be eligible.
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient mental health care is the most intensive type of care. Inpatient services provide supervision and a structured setting for those with severe mental health issues, such as Bipolar disorder or major depression. The treatment programs include daily visits with an therapist, psychiatrist and social worker. They also may include therapy for co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse. Inpatient treatment is available at a psychiatric facility or the psychiatric unit of a regular medical hospital.
Many adults are referred to inpatient mental health care after a breakdown or crisis. They could be at risk of causing harm to themselves or others, and should be kept in a secure setting until they feel safe. This is usually due to an untreated depressive episode that is severe. Depression can develop on someone slowly and at a slower pace, draining their energy until they become unable to function. Sometimes a person will suffer from a mental health crisis that requires law enforcement or emergency services involvement, and then they may be involuntarily committed to an inpatient facility.
Sometimes young adults enroll in residential treatment after having an emotional crisis or they've been struggling with their symptoms for a long period of time and have not made any progress. The aim of these programs is to help them achieve a sustainable recovery. These programs take young adults 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 are generally longer than short term inpatient psychiatric hospital stays, and can last for a period of 30 days or more. The programs provide activities for rehabilitation, as well as education on mental health and substance use disorders. They also provide support and provide life skills based on each person's needs.
A lot of insurance companies will cover the cost of inpatient mental health treatment. It's important to speak with your insurance company about the coverage you have and the various types of treatment for mental health inpatients. There are many organizations that provide low-cost and no-cost inpatient services for those who don't have insurance.
Outpatient Treatment
As the name suggests, outpatient treatment allows individuals to stay at home and continue working throughout their recovery. It's a great step-down option from residential recovery and works as a base for ongoing care after residential services for mental health. Outpatient rehabilitation services are less controlled than inpatient care and are best suited to people who already live in a supportive environment with few negative influences, and are ready to take on responsibility for their recovery.
Outpatient programs have flexibility in schedules, which helps participants keep their commitments to school, work and their families. The intensity of basic outpatient therapy, intense outpatient programs and part-hospitalization programs differs. The most rigorous of these, partial hospitalization, typically requires five to six hours of treatment a day, seven days per week. These programs aid in stabilizing behavior during early recovery and are often the intermediary to residential treatment.
Some inpatient and residential mental health programs provide various outpatient therapies as well as a full range. Oftentimes, these programs offer support groups that allow participants to identify triggers that are common and learn coping strategies that may be helpful in a stressful or crisis period.
In addition, a lot of outpatient programs include an element of family behavior therapy. Group and individual sessions can be focused on a range of issues such as parenting, school or work issues, and relationships. This allows the participants to bring their concerns into the therapy environment and apply what they've learned to their daily lives.
It is essential to prepare for a residential or an inpatient mental health program by contacting the center and making sure that any necessary paperwork has been completed and that you have any issues settled prior to the day of your admission. If you're planning to enter a residential program, it's recommended to contact your loved ones so that they know what to expect during your stay at the recovery center and are able to help. Generally speaking, it is possible to visit relatives who are receiving residential treatment or inpatient care. However, this varies from program to program.