NNews April 2024

53 April 2024 Summit Oaks Hospital Provides Innovative, Comprehensive Care and Vital Education At Summit Oaks Hospital, the team has observed two changing trends in the perception of behavioral health and are working to build on the positive trend and reverse the other one. The positive trend is that in recent years, parents have been more willing to seek help for their children, as demonstrated by the hospital treating individuals as young as 5 years old, which is significantly younger than the staff has seen in the past, according to Kathryn Clores, MTE, Director of Therapeutic Activities. However, overall, there has been a shift in how people withmental illnesses and substance use disorders (SUD) are viewed. “There seems to be less empathy and more pressure to take care of yourself and not rely on other entities. There is not much empathy for individuals with chronic mental illness or substance use disorder,” said Christine Hannam, MSW, LCSW, Chief Operating Officer, adding that Summit Oaks serves patients with very acute illnesses, as well as those with chronic disorders. For adults, inpatient care at Summit Oaks Hospital includes psychiatric treatment, drug and alcohol detox and rehabilitation, and treatment of co-occurring disorders. Outpatient services are also available. These include partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient (IOP) care for mental illnesses and an evening IOP program for individuals with SUD. For younger generations, Summit Oaks’ inpatient unit provides much more than clinical treatment. Patients of all ages are offered a variety of creative therapeutic activities, in addition to clinical care. “We try to spread the word on this. People come to the hospital and expect to be in bed all day, but they’re not,” said Karen Stewart, MBA, Director of Business Development. “ Our goal is to keep people in the community and not requiring hospitalization. So, we build awareness of other levels of care and the role of the community in being part of this fix. ” Christine Hannam, MSW, LCSW Chief Operating Officer (continued on page 54)