TriStar Behavioral Health Launches Treatment Malls

CINDY SANDERS

TriStar Behavioral Health Launches Treatment Malls | Behavioral Health, TriStar, Skyline Madison Campus, Parthenon Pavilion, behavioral health, Treatment Mall, psychiatry, substance abuse, Independence Square, Kay Delage, Chandra Sastry

Innovative Concept Comes to Skyline Madison, Parthenon Pavilion

In the next few weeks, Middle Tennessee will see the launch of two new behavioral health Treatment Malls at TriStar's Parthenon Pavilion and Skyline Madison Campus locations. The innovative concept represents "quite a radical change" from the typical inpatient psychiatric stay, according to Kay Delage, MN, chief operating officer for Skyline Madison Campus.

"The Treatment Mall concept allows individuals to participate in a normalizing approach to treatment; helping set goals for recovery while more closely imitating life in the community," she explained, adding that the concept emphasizes the central role a patient plays in his own recovery. "This unique approach to patient care fully engages the patient as a partner in care."

Although not a brand new concept, it is new to Middle Tennessee. Delage said the idea started in the state hospital system and has been tailored by TriStar to the private setting to meet the needs of their specific patient populations.

Prior to the mid-April launch at Parthenon Pavilion and early May debut at Skyline Madison, patients admitted to the hospitals for behavioral health issues were assigned to a specific unit –– such as Acute Treatment and Mood Disorders or Co-occurring Disorders –– where they received all therapy. Psychiatrist Chandra Sastry, MD, medical director at Skyline Madison Campus, said it was logistically difficult to move patients from one unit to another in the former care model.

Now, patients will leave those units each morning and go to the Treatment Mall where they will interact with individuals, staff and therapists from other units; meet with physicians; have input on their personalized curriculum; and participate in multiple skill-based classes.

"That means you get a comprehensive view … an overall therapy dependent on their need instead of just what is being offered on the unit," Sastry said.

On the Skyline Madison Campus, Delage estimated individuals would have access to 70 percent more group offerings than they did when unit-specific classes were conducted on the inpatient floors. Sastry added patients would typically attend four-five sessions a day designed to provide group and individual therapy, recreation therapy, social skills, plus education related to memory re-training, medications, anger management, communication, relationships, disease management and addiction recovery.

"It's much more like being in a community as opposed to being in a hospital unit," Sastry said.

"It's not unlike going to college," Delage added of choosing a schedule and changing classes throughout the day. She said patients would participate in a core curriculum with electives to address key treatment needs and ancillary issues.

"The treatment groups will be specifically designed to meet the therapeutic needs of each individual patient," Delage said. "As they achieve their treatment goals, they may move out of one class and into another class."

Sastry said patients typically have multiple issues that must be addressed. In addition to a primary diagnosis, other factors including substance abuse disorders, trauma issues, childhood abuse, anger management and eating disorders impact a patient's progress.

"With the Treatment Mall, the patients can try to resolve several different issues and not just focus on one particular thing," he said. "We look at what will help the patient best and prepare them to go back into society feeling better about what their problems have been and what types of solutions they can continue to have."

On the Skyline Madison Campus, the Treatment Mall utilizes space left vacant when outpatient physical rehabilitation moved to another part of the building. The renovated area includes nine group rooms, a nurse's station, physician consultation rooms, infirmary and respite area. In addition, the space adjoins Independence Square, which will be used for hands-on life skills training during Treatment Mall hours and still be accessible to those in need of physical therapy when not in use by behavioral health patients.

Independence Square recreates the feel of a town and includes replicas of a bank, gas station, café, dentist office, mechanic's garage, putting green, boat dock, grocery store and a furnished apartment. Delage said the area is ideal for teaching social skills and for exercises to help individuals reintegrate into the community setting.

Parthenon Pavilion has been able to adapt its current space to meet the demands of the new fluid programming. Like Skyline, Parthenon Pavilion is focusing on an integrated, interdisciplinary approach. Groups will be provided by 15 different disciplines including nursing, social services, recreation therapy, pharmacy, dietary, music and art therapy, patient advocacy, counselors, chaplain services, chemical addiction experts, admissions staff, care coordinators, education staff and physicians.

Both hospitals will be measuring outcomes and hope to reduce the number of readmissions and length of stay, as well as to assess improvement data and increase patient satisfaction.

"Our goal is to help them meet the goals of the treatment plan and help them return to their maximum functioning potential," Delage concluded.