When Outpatient Psychiatric Care is Not Enough

Eric M. Plakun, MD, and Thomas Franklin, MD, write about the importance of mental health treatments that bridge the gap between traditional outpatient therapy and full hospitalization in this article from Psychology Today.

(from the publisher)

"According to SAMHSA and the federal courts, the generally accepted goal of treatment is not mere crisis stabilization but recovery. Hospitals are essential for crisis stabilization, but pursuit of recovery is generally the focus of outpatient treatment.

Consider a comparison from the world of medicine and surgery. After a stroke, patients are first hospitalized for crisis stabilization, then transition to outpatient care for recovery. If they have lost basic abilities, they go to an intermediate-care level to regain skills before returning to outpatient treatment. A similar approach applies in mental health, where residential treatment acts as an in-between phase after crisis stabilization. It's like using training wheels on a bike—helping patients build skills for independent recovery."

Read the article here.