Clinician's Guide to Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Practice, (Paperback)

"It is abundantly clear from this book that the author has thought deeply about the intricacies of treatment in a milieu setting. He is focused on both a conceptual framework and practical skills that are essential to successful PHP and IOP treatment. The author is attuned to the complexities that confront the individual clinician on a daily basis and offers a number of sample documents and references that significantly increases the value of this endeavor... The book identifies the key elements of treatment and addresses many of the challenges faced by hardworking clinicians as they seek to create a therapeutic environment that fosters responsibility, growth, and healing for a wide range of individuals... The book offers multiple examples of typical problems that occur with a thoughtful analysis of potential solutions. We heartily recommend this book to those who are starting a program or for seasoned professionals who want a 'fresh look' at an ongoing program."

--Thomas Miller, President, Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare

Assists clinicians in managing their time to the greatest advantage and providing professional treatment to all patients simultaneously

As inpatient psychiatric facilities face bed shortages and increasingly limited insurance coverage for their programs, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs are growing within the mental health treatment community. This book provides clinicians (including social workers, counselors, therapists, and psychiatric nurses) new to partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient practice settings with a conceptual framework and practical skills for effective and efficient practice. It helps clinicians to develop realistic expectations for treatment in a managed care environment with limited time and funding.

Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment programs (PHPs/IOPs) can present particularly stressful environments in which clinicians are engaged in multiple treatment processes with groups of diverse patients, all at different points in the treatment process. This book borrows the "ecology of games" concept from political theory to assist clinicians in managing their time to the greatest advantage and providing professional treatment to all patients simultaneously. It describes the key elements of a PHP/IOP, including treatment planning, discharge planning, group therapy, psychoeducation, and safety and confidentiality issues. It then addresses challenges unique to specific patient populations in the program--children, adults, older adults, the chronically mentally ill, the chemical dependent, individuals with co-occurring disorders--and offers strategies for coping with the multitude of issues they present.

Key Features:

• Provides practical strategies for handling a variety of clinical issues in the PHP/IOP setting
• Covers specific problems and treatment planning goals for varied populations
• Guides clinicians in developing realistic expectations for treatment in a managed care environment with limited time and funding
• Includes chapters dedicated to coping with a death in a program, the personality-disordered patient, and conflicts among staff