The care provided at Assurance Health is focused on getting our patients back to their homes quickly, safely, and confident in handling the problems they had before they came to us. The typical stay on our unit is about two weeks and includes many people all focused on enhancing the quality of life for both our patients and their families. Activities include, but are not limited to:

• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Recreation therapy
• Group therapy to explore and learn different and better ways to cope with individual problems and issues.
• Daily living skills groups are also offered to improve memory, address mood regulation, and provide relaxation.
• Recreation activities designed for individual abilities and needs. Adjunctive therapies are offered, such as crafts, art, games, and gardening.

Goal-Oriented System

Through a variety of modalities, including reminiscence, re-motivation and validation, our patient goals are the instillation of hope where there has been hopelessness, progress where there has been regression, and a renewed sense of wellness.

A daily goal-setting group is held each morning. This is a brief group designed to help each patient select one or just a few things you can accomplish each day. In the morning, usually around breakfast time, each patient will share his/her goal for the day, if they are able. Staff will help patients achieve daily goal(s). In the evening during dinner time, patients are asked to review how well they think you met their daily goal(s). Goals can be very basic ones (e.g. “I’m going to play a game with another group member today.”). A good way to think of a goal is to ask 2 questions:

A therapist will meet with each patient while they are on the unit. During these times, patients may review their treatment plan, discuss what will happen when they discharge, and examine any problems they may be experiencing on the unit. The goal for individual therapy is to keep patients engaged, on track with their goals, and improve their ability to work through problems.

We do all we can to involve family members in patient care, as oftentimes, they are know pertinent patient family history and insight into the changes their loved one may be currently experiencing. Additionally, it is likely that family was instrumental in helping our patients and their care providers to seek psychiatric treatment. If our patients (or their legal guardians) choose to have family involved in their treatment while at Assurance Health, a therapist will provide family therapy to help the patient’s family with planning goals,. assessing current changes, and creating a successful discharge plan. This is particularly important for our patients who reside with their family members. We understand that sometimes family members don’t get along, and when one person isn’t feeling well it can make things worse. We will do our best to help with any disagreements our families have, in order to help build a stronger family. Written patient or guardian consent must be given before any information regarding patient treatment can be shared. This keeps patient information secure from those that do not have the patient’s best interest in mind.

Recreation Therapy
Patients are also encouraged to attend and participate in the daily recreation therapy groups, led by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. The emphasis of this group is to help our patients learn to use their free or leisure time in ways that make them feel better and/or better express how you feel. The Recreation Therapist will use various activities as a form of active treatment to improve your physical, cognitive, emotional and social functioning and to increase independence in life activities. Activities are based on our patients cognitive, physical, and emotional abilities to elicit participation and ensure success. Unlike typical recreation programs, Recreation Therapy group is goal and outcome-oriented.

Group therapy is one of the biggest parts of treatment. Patients have the daily opportunity to share with their peers, who may be experiencing some of the same symptoms, in an effort to relate to one another’s problems and coping mechanisms. Our goal is to give our patients activities that allow them to express themselves, learn new ways to handle problems, and enjoy the opportunity to bond with others. Some of our patients are uncomfortable in groups, and we understand that. Every single day we encourage patients to participate, but ultimately they are free to make their own decision about attending group therapy.