Crestwood’s Psychiatric Health Facilities Providing a Beacon of Light in the Darkest Moments
There is no more significant moment than the moment when you feel the greatest despair, the moment when you cannot find any controls for your emotions and actions, the moment when you find yourself lost in the streets, homeless, hungry and frightened, the moment when you can no longer endure the life you are living. These times generally get you to the door of an ambulance, police car or crisis center. These are the crisis moments the clients who come to Crestwood’s Psychiatric Health Facilities (PHFs) find themselves in the midst of. This moment is pivotal and can be the beginning of a long and dark road of hospitalizations, or an opportunity to embark on a journey of recovery, serenity and peace.
Crestwood has become one of largest provider of PHFs in the state with programs at our American River, Bakersfield, Solano, Sacramento and San Jose campuses. The PHFs are designed by and for individuals who are in the middle of crisis moments and need a soft place to land. The PHF environments are cozy, with soft wall paint hues of welcoming color and are decorated with carpet and home furnishings to eliminate the sterile hospital environment feel. When a client first arrives at one of Crestwood’s PHFs they are greeted in a comfortable welcoming room and are provided with snacks and drinks.
Each client’s initial assessment occurs in this welcoming room and is conducted as a soft inquiry interview, rather than a long list of yes and no questions, which helps to calm the client and put them at ease. Once a client has been welcomed, they are then provided with a tour of the rest of the environment. The PHFs are small programs, accommodating 10 to 16 individuals, yet each has a large, relaxing living room; dining room and kitchen; group rooms; sitting areas for just visiting; and a serenity room with chaise lounges, walls painted darker soft hues, art and music for contemplation, meditation and peace of mind. The bedrooms have homelike beds with comforters and enough space to allow freedom of movement and privacy.
The support offered at Crestwood’s PHF programs is exceptional.
The PHF programs are designed to be open, enabling clients to choose classes each day, as well as to take the time they need for individual healing rituals such as journaling, sharing stories and laughter. The evidence-based classes available to clients include Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), and Cognitive Behavioral skills training in anger management, self- soothing, assertiveness training, medication awareness, and life-skills training. The creative arts are also provided as another recovery tool that each person can bring with them as they transition back to their home or community. The support offered at Crestwood’s PHF programs is exceptional. The psychiatrists are well-versed in recovery methods and a variety of recovery tools, including medication. The licensed clinical staff and nursing staff are trained in WRAP and have extensive training to avoid coercive treatment. The relationship each staff member has with each client is viewed as one of the most healing recovery tools. Another significant support that is available for clients is peers helping peers.
Clients are also provided with transition training to help prepare them to return home or to a new environment. Linkage to community-based providers is vital at this time, as well as family support and education. With the support of the PHFs’ service coordinators, each client is linked to services, understands their aftercare plan and has an idea of where to get help should another crisis arise. So it is only with love, compassion, hope and ongoing support that the darkest moments can be transformed into the beginning of a sacred healing journey of recovery and peace. The Crestwood PHFs provide clients who are in this time of crisis with a safe environment that is warm and welcoming and surrounded by others who have been in their shoes and who can hold hope until they are ready to hold it for themselves.