What to Expect upon Arrival at Our Hospital
We know that when you arrive, you may be feeling nervous or unsure about what to expect. That’s why our goal when you arrive is to help you and your adolescent feel comfortable and welcomed.
Your visit actually begins even before you arrive at our hospital. When you call our Assessment and Mental Health Referral Department, you’ll have the opportunity to explain your situation, your adolescent’s needs, and anything else that would help understand how to best provide care for your adolescent. Then you’ll be given instructions and other information you need to know prior to your adolescent’s visit. Please visit our What to Bring page for more information on the items your adolescent will need during their stay.
When it’s time for your adolescent to arrive, you’ll go through an inpatient admissions process. This is where our staff welcomes your adolescent and begins the recovery process on a compassionate, welcoming note.
This process may take up to 2 hours. We ask that you be prepared to wait patiently as your adolescent takes a mental health assessment and goes through the admissions process.
For more information on our intake and admissions process, please visit our website.
What Will My Adolescent Be Doing at Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital?
Every patient at Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital will have their own behavioral health treatment plan. This plan will be created by professional therapists based on your adolescent’s individual needs, history, and co-occurring mental health conditions. This helps ensure your adolescent’s treatment is appropriate and most likely to succeed.
During their stay, your adolescent will work with our psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and social workers They will work with our psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and therapists to create an individualized treatment plan that addresses their specific needs. They will also be provided with nutritious meals.
The ultimate goal of our program is to empower our patients to understand their emotions, thoughts, and needs, helping them learn to deal with crises effectively. This also helps them reduce the symptoms of mental health conditions by identifying and practicing the use of healthy coping skills.
Every individual adolescent has different needs, so our staff work with them to identify the best skills and tools they can develop for long-term success. This may include expressing emotions appropriately, communicating effectively, developing healthy boundaries, managing frustration and anger, and developing important social skills. This helps provide a holistic, rounded approach to care.
We offer multiple ways for patients to engage in the treatment process, including:
- Grou, individual and family therapy sessions
- Recreational and expressive therapies, such as art therapy, music therapy, and movement therapy (yoga, tai chi, meditation)
- Stress management and coping skills groups
- Intensive assessment and evaluation
- Medication management
- Patient education to understand their mental health conditions
- Chaplain services and spirituality groups
- Aftercare and discharge planning
Our goal is that your adolescent will be empowered with new, healthy skills. This will give them lifelong benefits lasting after they are discharged and return to normal life. Please visit our Adolescents Programs page for more details about what our programs include.
Will I Have Communication with My Adolescent?
Within our facility, each unit has designated phone times for patients to reach out. Calls are limited to 10 minutes. We understand you may wish to call and speak to your adolescent during designated times. For safety and security, every patient will be given a confidential patient identification number when they are admitted. Any person calling a patient must have this ID number.
Will I Be Able to Visit?
Due to COVID-19, normal in-person visiting hours have been temporarily cancelled and moved to virtual ZOOM visits. Our staff ZOOM coordinator will contact you with information on how you schedule virtual visits.
What If I Have Additional Questions or Concerns?
Our staff is here to help you feel comfortable and confident about your adolescent s recovery. If you have any questions about what to expect when your adolescent arrives, please don’t hesitate to call us. Help is only a phone call away. Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is where healing starts and the road to recovery begins. To learn more specific details about our Teen and Adolescent’s Program, please see our website and call our 24/7 Patient Services Helpline at (877) 663-7976 or contact us online.
