Acute Psychiatric - Coastal Harbor Health System | Compassion Quality Excellence

Family involvement is a crucial aspect of our acute care treatment, and active participation is highly encouraged. Family counseling and family therapy are provided to assist with communication, conflict resolution, and behavior modification techniques which may help your family function more effectively. As a parent, you will receive regular updates from our staff of doctors and nurses.

Every patient is assigned an Acute Care Treatment Team. This includes our hospital medical director, attending psychiatrists, therapists, senior counselors, nurses, and mental health associates. An individualized plan of care is designed for each patient to help identify and address his or her specific treatment needs. This includes psychiatric, medical, psycho-social, and recreational diagnostic assessments. Your son or daughter will be under constant observation to ensure his or her safety and the safety of others. Your treatment team will provide you with evaluation results on an ongoing basis.

Medical Intervention
An attending psychiatrist will meet with your child every day, one-on-one, to assess his or her mood and behavioral symptoms, and determine whether medication may be necessary. If the child is placed on medication, the doctor will monitor the effectiveness of that medication to determine if adjustments are needed. Once an order for medication has been issued, a nurse will contact you get your permission to medicate your child and answer any questions you may have. Generally speaking, the nurse is the communication liaison between the doctor and the family. However, if you wish to discuss any aspect of your child's treatment directly with his or her psychiatrist, you may request this.

Patients receive one-on-one therapy so they may vent and process their feelings, and identify changes that may need to occur in their lives to help them make better choices. Each child creates an individualized Safety Crisis Plan with the therapist to explore such things as early warning signs, positive coping skills and goals for healthy behavior.

We also provide family therapy to address the needs of the family system, and to help the family understand the behavioral health needs of their child, how to help them recover. Family members receive education and resources to help them better understand how to help their child control their behavior and cope with stressful situations.

Some patients participate in daily group sessions to help stabilize their behaviors and prepare them to return to their home and school settings:

• Goals Group
  This daily group provides an opportunity for children and adolescents to identify and review specific goals targeted on his or her treatment plan.
• Community Meeting
  This daily meeting is designed to help the group problem-solve issues relating to their community experience at our facility.
• Psychological Education
  This group uses skill-building approach to develop social competency and teach a variety of skills such as assertiveness, interpersonal communication skills, problem-solving, conflict management, and understanding and managing feelings.
• Process Groups
  This group is designed to allow the children to process their feelings related to their past experiences and present circumstances. Children are encouraged to explore the precipitating factors that led to their inpatient admission, and to identify alternative means to handle similar situations in the future.

  Recreation Therapy

We provide a full array of recreational activities and therapies to increase self-esteem and develop problem-solving skills within the peer group. This helps patients gain deeper insight into themselves and their issues as they learn new and more appropriate ways to cope.

  Aftercare Planning

While the Acute unit is designed to address your child's immediate crisis, the aftercare plan is a vital component to your child's long-term success. We will provide you with tools to aid you in medication management, community resources, relapse prevention and appropriate discharge referrals. In addition, we will provide you with a medical excuse for your child's school, upon your written consent.