Intervention & Approaches in Mental Health Care

The types of interventions and approaches in mental health care vary depending on the type of disorder and severity of symptoms a person is experiencing. Mental health care systems are set up on a continuum of services from outpatient care to long-term treatment for emotional and behavioral problems. Although there are a variety of interventions available to individuals suffering from mental health conditions, there is a perception that resources are limited due to cuts in state and federal mental health funding over the past decade. It is beneficial to know what resources are available in the community if help for mental health is ever needed.

Outpatient Treatment

• Outpatient treatment includes care that is provided by community mental health centers, private therapists and psychiatrists. Outpatient care is for individuals who are experiencing distress from mental health issues but at a level where only routine visits are necessary. Outpatient treatment may be in the form of weekly counseling sessions or monthly medication management visits.

Case Management

• Case management is a level of care that is provided by community mental health centers. Case management includes services provided to chronically mentally ill patients who need assistance in daily tasks. Case managers can help patients manage transportation to appointments, medications and/or assistance is finding work.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment

• Different types of intensive outpatient treatment programs are available. Day treatment is typically is a program where patients spend daytime hours in an intensive treatment program that includes psychiatric evaluation, individual, group and family therapy. Patients enrolled in the program contract for safety so they can leave each day and spend the night at home. Programs typically last two to three weeks. Other intensive outpatient programs may focus on mental disorders or chemical dependency and are usually three nights a week for several hours over a period of a few weeks.

Inpatient Treatment

• Acute inpatient treatment is intervention used for patients in crisis. A crisis may include suicidal thoughts, gestures or attempts or plans to harm someone else. Psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions are also criteria for admission to inpatient psychiatric care. Inpatient treatment includes psychiatric evaluation, medication stabilization, individual, group and family therapy. Length of stay is typically five to seven days and can be voluntary or involuntary if the person at risk is unwilling to sign himself in for treatment.

Residential Treatment

• Residential treatment is long-term care that is helpful in changing maladaptive behaviors that have not responded to other types of less intensive treatment. Residential care can vary from three months to a year depending on the severity of the symptoms and behavioral problems. Residential treatment can be effective for adolescents who are defiant, in trouble with the law or have many mental health issues that are difficult to manage in a home environment.

Rehabilitation

• Rehabilitation is intervention used for people who are chronically abusing substances. Rehab is typically a minimum of 28 days and requires inpatient stay. Rehabilitation includes introduction to 12-step programs and focuses on helping individuals maintain sobriety from the substance of choice. Rehab may be voluntary or court ordered depending on an individual's situation.