Coping with paralyzing anxiety, depression, or thoughts of suicide requires help.
Munson Medical Center’s Partial Hospitalization Program offers expert care from a team that includes a psychiatrist, nurse, and licensed counselors who are all focused on helping those suffering from a behavioral health crisis and their families get back to normal living.
“We have people from every walk of life who come here. Those who are employed, unemployed, attorneys, business owners, you name it,” said Jennifer Walter, R.N., coordinator of the program. “A lot of times there are people who are just having difficulties at work or in their family and they don’t need to be in the hospital. We can fill that need.”
The outpatient program began in 1994 as a means to provide patients who need intensive intervention, but not necessarily inpatient hospitalization, a place to regain a stable foundation to get back into life. In addition to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, patients who qualify for the program may be suffering from grief and loss, bipolar disorder, post-partum depression, social phobias, and other overwhelming issues.
Patients come to the program with referrals from their family provider, the Emergency Department, self-refer, or are referred by family members. They can range from 18 years old into their 90s and many have addresses across the state and around the country.
Psychiatrist Richard Beck, M.D., said the program can handle up to 14 patients at a time and each one undergoes a full psychiatric evaluation when they enter the program.
“I will look back in their medical records to see if there are other medical illnesses affecting their mood. If necessary I call the referring physician, or I can talk to any of the medical specialists to see if there are other disease processes that interfere,” he said. “I am here every day. I can adjust medication rapidly, something that is not possible in a typical office setting.”
In addition to Walters and Dr. Beck, other members of the team include therapists Jaclyn Jorgensen, LPC, and Kim Handwerk, LPC.
Patients spend the day from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the program. Mornings are filled with group sessions. Those sessions are followed by a team meeting to assess patient progress. In the afternoon, patients return to group sessions. During a patient’s entire stay, counselors focus some one-on-one time with each patient and also ask family members in for a session to educate them about patient needs.
“We have a list of 20 coping skills that we work through and bring in elements such as self-esteem, self-awareness and team building,” Handwerk said. “We work on communication in the group, so they can go home and apply that in their family.”
Program applicants first go through a phone interview to ensure the program will meet their needs. Each patient has their own care plan and goals to get them functioning again. Average length of stay is anywhere from 7 - 10 business days depending on the individual’s needs which are assessed daily – though some may stay as little as three days and others as long as three weeks.
People leave the program able to function again and most are scheduled to continue with weekly or monthly follow-up care with a counselor or provider. The program works closely with other behavioral health agencies and providers in the community.
“We do have some people who say they feel 100 percent better, and others who still have mild symptoms when we discharge them,” Dr. Beck said. “Many of them will refer family or friends to the program. We also have people who say ‘this program is great’ and ‘you saved my life.’”
For more information on the program, call the Partial Hospitalization Program office at 231-935-6880, or go to munsonhealthcare.org/php.