MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Our multiple bed Mental Health unit is exclusively dedicated to inpatient psychiatric treatment. Common psychiatric disorders that we treat include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Bipolar
• Schizophrenia

Our Mental Health unit is currently accepting admissions for adults aged 18 years or older, including older adults who require inpatient evaluation for memory loss, sudden changes in behavior, and/or depression.

What care can I expect while in hospital? 

Intake Interview:

Upon arriving at the hospital you will meet with an intake clinician who will ask about your current feelings, thoughts and what has been going on with you. Your belongings will be locked in a secure place. You will be asked to complete documents about insurance coverage, past mental and physical illness, allergies, release of information to other providers. Because you are 18 years old or older your family or other supporters will only be involved if you give written consent.

Consent to Release Information:

A “consent” form allows you to choose which family or friends, if any, will be involved in your care. If you do not choose anyone your family and friends will not be able to get any information about your care even if they ask. You may sign a “consent” form at intake or any point in your hospital stay.

Diagnosis:

Early in the hospital stay a psychiatrist or therapist will meet with you to ask about your feelings, thoughts and how life has been for you recently. The doctor will give one or more diagnoses to guide your treatment process. The diagnostic interview is used to identify which disease(s) the doctor thinks you have in order to guide treatment. Because there are no lab tests to definitely identify mental illness several tries may be necessary to get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Medication Management:

The psychiatrist may prescribe new medication or do a dosage adjustment. To clarify whether change is needed the doctor may order a “drug holiday” in which you stop taking all medications for several days while nursing staff observe your symptoms. Lab work, including blood or urine samples may be needed to determine whether changes are helpful. Read More about Medication and Medication Management

Individual and/or Group Therapy:

While in our hospital you will be offered individual counseling and group therapy to explore thoughts, feelings, perceptions and/or relationships that led you to Access. You will have a chance to learn new approaches to situations that triggered past crises.

Suicide Watch:

If you are at risk for harming or killing yourself Access staff will be assigned to monitor you, or as we call it “well-check,” around the clock, every 15 minutes until the crisis passes.

Recovery Skill Education:

Recovery education includes learning about mental health and substance use disorders, relapse prevention, and how to cope with stress and maintain wellness. Healthy choices regarding sleep, diet, exercise, and relationships promote recovery and reduce the chance of crises.

Discharge Planning:

From the time you enter Access Hospital we will have social workers or care coordinators working with you to plan treatment continuity in community-based services for after you leave the hospital. The social worker will work with you to make appointments with a psychiatrist, therapist, case manager or other community mental health service providers and may recommend support groups or peer-run services. Arrangements for safe housing, income, and health care coverage are all very important to your continued success, and therefore, very important to us at Access.