Patients also receive intensive short-term treatment with the goal of alleviating symptoms and rapidly returning them to the community. Treatment is based on individual treatment plans and includes individual, group, family and milieu psychotherapy together with psychotropic medication. The average length of stay is approximately 10 days. The patients generally present with complex combinations of disorders reflecting psychotic, affective, cognitive, neurological and medical components. Treatment in the short-term setting focuses on rapid comprehensive diagnosis, symptom reduction, and pharmacological treatments.
Psychosocial treatments emphasize individual and family crisis intervention.
The Unit has developed considerable expertise in treating patients with previously treatment-refractory psychotic and affective illnesses. The Dual Diagnosis Program is designed to evaluate and treat patients with both psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. Detoxification, pharmacotherapy, relapse prevention, social problem-solving, stress management and family education are important components of the program. The Adolescent Inpatient Treatment Unit conducts short term treatment of adolescent and young adult patients with a wide range of diagnoses including affective disorders, psychoses, developmental disorders, conduct disorders, and psychiatric disorders combined with substance abuse. Comprehensive neuropsychiatric assessment and treatment, intensive family consultation and crisis intervention are the core treatment modalities.