Therapeutic Recreation in Acute Care
Therapeutic Recreation Support in Long Beach, CA
At Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility, our acute psychiatric care unit and outpatient services, including recreational activities, are strategically designed to emphasize holistic well-being.
Understanding Therapeutic Recreation Support in Acute Care
Imagine a comprehensive approach that combines education about mental health diagnoses with the cultivation of healthy, engaging coping strategies. Recreational therapists are specially trained to impart resilience and stress management skills through recreation-centered activities such as games, art therapy, and creative pursuits. This approach not only fosters overall well-being and promotes independence but also actively involves individuals in meaningful, therapeutic interventions and engagement. Research has shown that therapeutic recreation can enhance both mental and physical well-being.
Acute Care
Acute psychiatric care addresses intense but transient mental health symptoms. The state of Iowa’s Health and Human Services defines acute care as, “Acute psychiatric intensive care is defined as care provided for a condition with rapid onset that is accompanied by severe symptoms and is generally of brief duration, requiring emergency treatment and intensive psychiatric care.” Acute care aims to improve your well-being and stabilize your symptoms, enabling you to reintegrate into your daily life and improve the quality of life.
Experiencing dangerous symptoms like self-harm can scare you, but you may not know where to go. You should seek immediate medical attention at a hospital or medical center. Other options include acute care hospitals that can diagnose you and provide medication to manage your symptoms. The doctor caring for you can refer you to an acute psychiatric health facility.
Mental health crisis stabilization units provide symptom management and medication stabilization under the care of a doctor, psychiatrist, and a skilled nursing staff.
Experiencing dangerous symptoms like self-harm can scare you, but you may not know where to go. You should seek immediate medical attention at a hospital or medical center. Other options include acute care hospitals that can diagnose you and provide medication to manage your symptoms. The doctor caring for you can refer you to an acute psychiatric health facility.
Mental health crisis stabilization units provide symptom management and medication stabilization under the care of a doctor, psychiatrist, and a skilled nursing staff.
Psychiatric Conditions That Require Acute Care
Admission to acute mental health care is typically warranted when symptoms are severe, sudden in onset, and pose a risk to safety or functioning. Conditions that may necessitate inpatient stabilization include:
- Acts of violence or aggression
- Suicidal ideation or attempts
- Self-injury behaviors such as cutting
- Ingestion of potentially harmful objects
Upon admission to Ocean View’s mental health stabilization unit, patients participate in tailored therapeutic recreation support designed to meet their individual needs and improve their overall wellness.
Patients That Benefit From Recreation Support
Therapeutic recreation support is particularly advantageous for medically complex patients, such as those with traumatic brain injuries or co-occurring mental health conditions. Nonetheless, its benefits extend to a diverse array of individuals, including:
- Those experiencing depression or anxiety
- Individuals facing social isolation
- Patients need to develop communication skills for emotional expression
- Those working toward independent living skills
Getting Started Is Easy
Step 1: Contact Our Admissions Team
Contact our admissions team to speak with an Intake Coordinator.
Step 2: Verify Insurance
When you talk with one of our admission team members, you will answer a few questions while they verify your insurance.
Step 3: Schedule Admission
Once your insurance is approved, we will determine how to best accommodate your needs.
How Our Program Differs
We know you’re different from anyone else, so we offer acute mental health care that meets your unique needs. With Ocean View, you’ll experience stabilization-focused care that provides structure and support without stigma. With your input, we build partnerships with medical and behavioral health services so you can transition from us to your daily life. We do this through providing comprehensive mental health services that are accessible to everyone.
- On-site Team of Psychiatrists: Our on-site psychiatrists provide medication stabilization, monitoring, and management. Your well-being is vital throughout your stay in our inpatient mental health crisis facility and our outpatient services.
- Case Management & Aftercare Support: Case management begins when you’re admitted to either our inpatient or outpatient program. Our case managers and social workers ensure you have a safe place to go, whether that’s housing or a facility, once you leave us.
- Transportation Coordination Provided: We offer transportation services coordinated with a trusted provider that takes you to and from inpatient intake, discharge destinations, as well as transportation to/from our onsite outpatient programs. *Transportation is provided to patients within a 50-mile radius
- Stabilization for Managing Psychiatric Symptoms: Ocean View provides 24/7 inpatient psychiatric care. We also have outpatient treatment programs.
- Patient Resource Network: Transitioning from inpatient or outpatient treatment can be overwhelming. That’s why we have an opt-in patient follow-up option. You don’t have to be alone in managing your symptoms.
Our Recreational & Psychoeducational Programming
Ocean View’s inpatient and outpatient recreational and psychoeducational programs are safe, secure places to learn and discover more about your psychiatric health. Our rehabilitation services are designed to help you transition smoothly back into everyday life. The structured groups include programming that boosts self-esteem and independence.
Inpatient Psychiatric Care
Individuals presenting with psychiatric symptoms can be admitted to Ocean View’s inpatient unit. Because mental health challenges present in a variety of ways, some of the criteria for admission include:
- Insomnia, racing thoughts, impulsivity, rapid or pressured speech
- Abnormal bouts of euphoric energy
- Reckless behavior or making decisions that affect an individual’s safety or well-being
- Inability to provide shelter, food, and safety as a result of mental impairment
- Helplessness, hopelessness
- Suicidal or homicidal ideations
- Psychosis
- Self-harming behaviors
Once you’re admitted, your team will develop a treatment plan that includes aftercare planning. Your treatment plan will be evaluated daily to reflect clinical improvement and make adjustments as needed.
Personalized Care
Ocean View’s inpatient program provides personalized, empathetic, comprehensive care. Our care team provides:
- Licensed Psychiatric Care
- 24/7 Nursing and Monitoring
- 6 Daily Group Sessions
- Psychoeducational Groups
- Therapeutic Recreation
- Coping Skills Development
- Patients are placed in groups based on the severity of their symptoms
Medication Stabilization
Antipsychotic drugs are the preferred medications for acute psychosis. These are proven to be more effective in treating positive psychosis symptoms and less effective for negative psychosis symptoms. The most common antipsychotics are atypical antipsychotics (second generation) and typical antipsychotics (first generation) medications, reviewed and prescribed based on your medical history, experience with antipsychotics, and the side effects. If you are experiencing agitation, a health professional may give you an antipsychotic with sedation properties.
Adverse effects can determine the type of antipsychotic medication you will receive. Some medical conditions, for example, dementia, prevent a patient from being prescribed an antipsychotic.
An essential component of our inpatient crisis stabilization is monitoring and adjusting your medication if necessary.
Adverse effects can determine the type of antipsychotic medication you will receive. Some medical conditions, for example, dementia, prevent a patient from being prescribed an antipsychotic.
An essential component of our inpatient crisis stabilization is monitoring and adjusting your medication if necessary.
Outpatient Levels of Care
Ocean View’s outpatient levels of care consider the severity of your symptoms. Once your symptoms are evaluated, you will be admitted to either our partial hospitalization program (PHP) or intensive outpatient program (IOP). Both levels of care provide a safe, structured care that supports your symptom management.
Partial Hospitalization Program
Our PHP is a more structured level of care than our IOP. While here, you will engage in care that increases your coping skills and independence. The structured care includes:
- Four group sessions a day that meet five days a week. These sessions include a psychoeducational group led by a social worker and a therapeutic recreation support session led by a recreation therapist.
- Case management
- Snacks and lunch
Intensive Outpatient Program
While our IOP is a structured level of care, we focus on providing the same secure, enjoyable, and compassionate care found in our inpatient and PHP levels of care. However, we also include:
- Focused Coping Skills
- Community Reintegration
Continued Medication Management Support With Our PHP and IOP
After your acute psychosis symptoms and medication are stabilized, you will transition to a lower level of care, and you will receive medication management services. Both our PHP and IOP provide continued medication management under the care of our psychiatric team.
Aftercare & Opt-In Patient Follow-Up
Your aftercare plan isn’t developed as you approach returning to your life away from us. When you first create your treatment plan, you start planning your transition back into the real world. Our treatment team understands the importance of an individualized aftercare plan that addresses issues you face in the real world. Our personalized approach includes:
- Case manager support
- Outpatient transitions
- Housing or facility placements
- Community support referrals
Our Opt-In Patient Follow-Up (Patient Resource Network) continues to provide support and encouragement after you transition back into your life. You can remain involved in your clinical improvement with:
- Routine Check Ins
Provided Transportation
We never want transportation to be the reason someone can’t access help. Transportation is coordinated through a trusted service and often becomes part of a positive patient bonding experience. Transportation is provided for patients within a 50-mile radius of our programs.
- Inpatient intake: Our transportation service eases anxiety about getting to your inpatient intake.
- Discharge destinations: We provide safe transportation so you don’t have toworry about getting to where you need to be after returning to the real world.
- Outpatient sessions: Using our transportation service alleviates any concerns about commuting to one of your IOP sessions.
Insurance and Payment Options
Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility is in-network for most insurance plans, including Medicare. We also accept private pay clients. Some of the companies we work with include:
Medicare, Tricare, Carelon, BlueCross BlueShield, Humana, MHN
Medicare, Tricare, Carelon, BlueCross BlueShield, Humana, MHN
Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility: Moving Forward With Recreation Support in an Acute Psychiatric Care Health Facility
Therapeutic recreation support is an evidence-based approach that builds your coping and life skills. Our Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility recreation therapists are skilled in recreational therapeutic activities and services.
Understand and Treat Your Acute Psychiatric Conditions
A supportive and empathetic environment is essential in helping you feel at ease while receiving crisis stabilization services. Participating in games, art, music, and pet therapy increases your understanding of your mental health disorder’s symptomology.
Deciding if Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility Is Right for You
Understanding your needs can help you determine if Ocean View is the right fit for you. When you need empathetic support, structure, and guidance without stigma, Ocean View is right for you. We want you to have realistic hope when you create a treatment plan that meets your needs.
Contact Our Admissions Team
Whether you prefer to speak with someone or email us for more information about our mental health stabilization care, our admissions team is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our Referral Process
We accept referrals from your medical or psychiatric health care provider. They can contact us by phone or email to start the admissions process.
FAQs
Will my insurance cover the cost of care?
Yes, Ocean View accepts most major insurance plans, including Medicare and private insurance options like Aetna. They do not accept Medicaid, but their admissions team can verify your insurance benefits and help you understand coverage. Support with insurance processing is available 24/7 to assist you in accessing the care you need.
How do I know what level of care I need?
Determining the appropriate level of care involves a comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional. Ocean View’s team works with patients and their providers to assess symptom severity and needs, guiding decisions on inpatient, partial hospitalization, or outpatient programs. An individual’s mental health condition, current stability, and treatment goals help inform the right level of care.
Does Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility treat young adults?
Yes, Ocean View Psychiatric Health Facility treats young adults ages 18 and up as part of their mental health stabilization programs. Their services include inpatient crisis care, partial hospitalization, and outpatient programs designed to meet the needs of diverse age groups, including young adults, with a focus on personalized treatment and support.
Do their levels of care include family support?
Their levels of care, from inpatient to outpatient, include family support and case management services. Social workers collaborate with patients to develop tailored treatment and aftercare plans, often involving family members to promote ongoing recovery. Family involvement and support are integral to ensuring a successful transition and continued mental health stability.