WHAT IS THE PARTIAL
HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM?
Sometimes persons
can find themselves in such stressful circumstances that they
suddenly develop serious psychiatric symptoms. In addition,
sometimes persons with serious and chronic psychiatric problems can
experience temporary increases in their symptom level. In
either case, those persons may need more intensive mental health
treatment and more daily support than is usually available from
traditional weekly visits with a counselor or case manager. The
Partial Hospitalization (PH) program is a voluntary short-term,
intensive mental health treatment program for persons 18 and older
that is designed to provide the extra daily support you may need to
help you continue to function in your home and community until your
symptoms reduce and you regain personal stability. As long as you do
not present a danger to yourself or others, PH and the variety
of mental health services it provides can help you avoid
admission to a psychiatric hospital and the associated disruption in
your life. If you have been discharged from a psychiatric
hospital, PH can also help you gradually adjust back to your life in
the community.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE PARTIAL
HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM?
The goal of the
PH program is to help you function better in your home
environment and to help you to identify and deal with areas of
your life where you may need or want to improve in order to maintain
successful community living. Participation in the PH program can
help you reduce the severity of psychiatric symptoms, reduce
feelings of being alone, improve your ability to make decisions for
yourself and manage daily tasks, improve your satisfaction
with your life, build more positive relationships with other people,
improve the way you communicate with others and enhance your
ability to cope with stress.
Before beginning
the PH program, you will meet with the program director for an
orientation and assessment interview that will likely last 30 to 45
minutes. At this meeting, you will receive a tour of the
facility, an overview of the program and a review of the PH
services available. You and the program director will begin to
define your specific treatment needs and your goals for
participation in the program.
The program
director will also review with you the program rules about
such things as confidentiality, attendance and fees. Transportation
to and from the program will also be arranged, if needed. If you
agree that you would benefit from the program, you will then be
assigned to a social worker, which will review your goals and
progress with you regularly.
How CAN THE PARTIAL
HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM HELP ME?
The PH program
will help you learn how to live with your psychiatric
symptoms, manage your medications and improve your overall
mental health. You will learn skills that will help you improve your
ability to cope with your problems and help you find the resources
and community supports to improve the quality of your life.
The program can be very helpful if you are or have been experiencing
any of following: multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, recurring
serious psychiatric symptoms,
severe
or
longstanding depression, suicidal thoughts or attempts, recurring
abuse of alcohol or drugs, serious reactions to traumatic events, or
other unmanageable symptoms.
How MUCH TIME DOES PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION TAKE?
Treatment in
The PH program can last from a few weeks to several months. Your
time in the PH program will be based on your needs and goals and
will be determined between you and your treatment team. PH provides
a number of different group interventions, five days per week, for a
total of at least three hours per day. Each group intervention has a
different clinical focus or purpose. You can attend the program all
five days per week or just one day per week, depending on what you
and your treatment team decide.
WHAT ARE GROUP INTERVENTIONS?
Group
intervention, or group therapy, provides a unique and important way
to learn about oneself and one's relationships, to gain confidence
as well as develop new skills and abilities, and to give and receive
support and feedback from others. For many types of problems, group
therapy is the treatment of choice. Groups provide the opportunity
to observe others solving their problems and provide the advantage
of a network of support from the other group members. Groups are
also especially helpful in building trust, self-acceptance,
intimacy, communication skills and empathy.
There are many
different types of group experiences offered by the PH program. For
example, Psychoeducational groups will help you develop new skills
and are often organized around topic areas, such as managing stress,
assertion skills, or coping with depression. The PH staff will
typically share basic information with the group members and
together you will share and explore the information in a supportive
and non-judgmental manner.
General
psychotherapy groups bring together individuals with more diverse
concerns and issues. All participants, though, share a commitment to
developing increased personal effectiveness and self-understanding
through the process of personal disclosure, as well as by offering
and accepting interpersonal feedback and support.
How CAN I MAKE THE PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL FOR
ME?
Confidentiality is of utmost importance in all counseling settings,
including therapy groups. All group members must commit to
confidentiality as a prerequisite to group participation. This means
that the identity of group members, as well as the nature and
content of group discussions must not be discussed with anyone
outside the group. Commitment to this principle allows individuals
to build trust and encourages members to share support and feedback
with each other.
An important
part of any group experience is the effort and commitment shared by
all in the creation of a safe, supportive environment in which to
learn and grow. Group members are expected to respect and encourage
each other and to work together to build trust. Depending on the
type of group, participants may share information and support and
may offer and ask for personal feedback. As a member of the group,
you are also expected to share aspects of yourself, your concerns,
and your feelings, as long as you feel comfortable in doing so.
Remember, that while everyone is encouraged to actively participate,
no one is ever forced to speak. Just as confidentiality is a group
norm, so too is respect for each person's right to privacy and right
to participate at the pace s/he chooses.
You are also
expected to attend the program regularly and on time, and to
communicate with each other in a manner that promotes safety and
demonstrates respect for individual diversity and autonomy.
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