"Menninger is a psychiatric institution established in 1925 for the treatment, prevention, education, and research of mental illness. U.S. News and World Report magazine ranked Menninger No. 2 in a survey of referrals in the psychiatry category of its "Best Hospitals" issue. Menninger is the only hospital that has ranked one or two for seven consecutive years. Menninger was ranked No. 1 in 1995.

The Menninger Partial Hospitalization Services (PHS) provides a Day Hospital (DH) program designed for patients who might otherwise require 24-hour care, and a Community Residential Program (CRP) for those with serious and persistent psychiatric disorders who require more rehabilitative treatment. Menninger PHS is an integral part of the full continuum of care available at Menninger.

Menninger PHS offers comprehensive and intensive treatment of major psychiatric disorders with specialized expertise in the treatment of severe personality disorders and severe and persistent mental illness.

These psychiatric disorders include:

• borderline personality disorders
• trauma disorders
• dual diagnosed disorders (substance abuse with psychiatric disorder)
• severe personality disorders in young adults
• schizophrenia
• schizoaffective disorder
• bipolar disorder
• depression

PHS provides a structured treatment program to support intensive treatment outside of a hospital. Distinguishing characteristics of treatment at Menninger include: 

• multi-disciplinary team approach
• comprehensive diagnostic evaluations
• individual and group psychotherapy
• intensive family work
• structured therapeutic activities
• comprehensive vocational and rehabilitation programs
• complete continuum of care
• structured living arrangements
• specialized consultation
• staff availability after hours
• pharmacotherapy integrated with other treatment

Upon admission to PHS the staff members will determine the appropriate mix of services  needed by:

• providing an initial assessment
• preparing a treatment plan
• involve the patient in setting treatment goals

The Treatment Team

The treatment team is truly a multi-disciplinary team of professionals working collaboratively to assist the patient in the completion of their treatment goals.

The team consists of a psychiatrist, clinical nurse specialist, counselors, and a clinical social worker. The psychiatrist leads the team and is responsible for treatment while the patient is in the program. The nurse provides health counseling and assists the psychiatrist with medication management. Day Hospital counselors develop the patient's activity program and lead activities. The social worker provides information about the treatment to the patient's family and offers family therapy services.

Each patient is assigned a treatment coordinator. This person meets with the patient regularly and communicates with all treaters. The treatment team evaluates the patient's progress and updates the individualized treatment plan daily. Ongoing communication among all staff members involved with treatment ensures an integrated treatment program and continuous flow of information to and from the treatment team.

To ensure that each patient receives the treatment and support needed, Partial Hospitalization Services comprise a number of specific programs. Patients are assigned to these programs based on their individual needs. Most Day Hospital patients begin treatment with a full-day hospital program, psychotherapy, and a structured residential program. Community Residence patients begin with a 24-hour structured residence.

The Day Hospital operates from 8:30 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, and an evening program is offered on Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 9 pm. The major strength of the Day Hospital is a rich and varied therapeutic activity program. Over 40 groups are available throughout the week:

 groups include relapse prevention, conflict resolution, stress management, 12 step recovery, family of origin, health awareness, medication group, art therapy, music therapy, men's and women's group, creative writing, video therapy, and bibliotherapy, anger management, nutrition and weight management, bipolar group, and anxiety disorder group.  employment preparation and remedial work program

Activities are individually prescribed to the patient's needs, level of functioning, and progress. Each patient is encouraged to assume increasing responsibility for defining personal needs and setting personal goals. As patients gain self-reliance, their time in the program is reduced from partial hospital status to hospital outpatient status.

The structured residential living programs operate jointly with the day hospital. Patients living in any of these programs must be in a PHS program. The treatment team is always available as backup. This program offers three housing alternatives within the Topeka community.

Family Living - Patients live in carefully selected private homes. Families assist them in preparing for more independent living. These families have no formal mental health training, but are characterized by their caring and warmth. The patient's social worker supervises the program and meets periodically with the patient and family living family.

Halfway House - These comfortable homes in residential settings provide a group living environment. A married, live-in couple and their assistants provide supervision. Residents have more freedom and flexibility than hospital patients. Shared responsibilities for cooking, housekeeping and the use of leisure time help prepare residents for independent living.

Halfway house evening program - Patients who have moved to their own apartment yet need support may enter the evening program. This program provides gradual transition to meet the patient's needs. Patients may visit the halfway house for meals, support, or an occasional overnight stay.

Community Residence Program (CRP)

24-hour structured living - This 24-hour service provides a permanent or transitional home for individuals who are in need of extended support or assistance rebuilding living skills in preparation for more independent living. Staff are trained in the recovery model in dealing with serious and persistent mental illness and the program offers a rehabilitation emphasis. Some residents begin in a CRP home and later "graduate" to a nearby, privately rented apartment and continue their involvement with CRP.

Each group home provides a family-style living arrangement, house parents, as well as other counselors, activities, group meetings, and individual staff assistance.

Day/evening program - Individuals live in their own apartments and continue their involvement with a CRP home as their headquarters from 8 am to 10 pm, or as needed, and participate in scheduled activities, group meetings, and meals. Occasional overnight stays are available when extra support is needed.

Each person in the Community Residence Program has a clinical team with a psychiatrist, social worker, clinical nurse specialist, and residential counselors.

Residents may use the Day Hospital and be in psychotherapy as indicated. Most will be treated with medications as well.

Menninger internists or other physicians in the community provide necessary medical care to PHS patients. Individual healthcare, nutrition counseling, stress management, fitness programs, and sex education are provided by clinical nurse specialists. Psychotropic medication prescribed by the team psychiatrist is monitored by the team nurse.

 

Social Work

The patient's social worker provides family therapy, serves as liaison between the treatment team and the patient's family, explains treatment to family, and works with the patient and family around family relationship issues.

PHS group psychotherapy provides an opportunity for members to discuss problems of daily living and relationships. Members provided meaningful assistance to one another as they progress from full-time status in PHS to increasing levels of independence.

Vocational services are designed for patients as they progress in treatment. Counselors with graduate-level training in rehabilitative vocational counseling conduct and supervise all aspects of vocational services under medical direction. These services include:

• vocational assessment
  

• occupational adjustment and training
  

• vocational counseling
  

• job-seeking preparation
  

• job placement
  

• volunteer placement

Crisis care

The patient's treatment coordinator and treatment team are available evenings and weekends by telephone to provide assistance. When indicated, immediate hospitalization at Menninger can be arranged.

The Menninger Partial Hospitalization Services program is also designed for the treatment of the dually diagnosed patient. Patients suffering from the co-occurrence of chemical dependency and mental health disorders require treatment resources involving a comprehensive approach to both the mental health disorder and the chemical dependency in an integrated therapeutic setting. The PHS program provides a structured approach to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of the dually diagnosed patient including:

• groups focusing on individualized relapse prevention planning
  

• individualized relapse prevention plans building the patients' awareness of relapse warning signs, high risk situations, supportive coping strategies, and the skills to maintain abstinence from drugs and alcohol
  

• psychoexpressive groups focusing on interpersonal issues related to chemical dependency and mental health disorders
  

• certified addictions counselor providing evaluation and ongoing assessment of the recovery process
  

• access to and recommendation of consistent participation in 12-step programs including alcoholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous, and/or dual diagnosis anonymous
  

• immediate access to inpatient hospitalization on Addictions Recovery unit if clinically indicated

Hospital Outpatient treatment

Patients requiring a less structured treatment program than Day Hospital move to hospital outpatient treatment. Patient retain their treatment coordinator plus a range of integrated treatment supports including therapeutic activities, crisis interventions, medication follow-up, individual and group psychotherapy, family treatment, halfway house, or CRP day or evening program. As needed, patients can shift from hospital outpatient treatment to Day Hospital and/or 24-hour residential programs. This continuum makes it possible to prescribe a clinically appropriate "dosage" of treatment for each individual involved in PHS.

Menninger is licensed by the State of Kansas and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. It is an approved hospital for Blue Cross, Medicare, CHAMPUS, and other insurance carriers.

The following should be done prior to admission:

• Interested persons should call or write to Care Coordination to discuss their treatment needs, as well as their hopes and expectations.

• The patient's current clinician should communicate with Care Coordination by phone, letter, or fax.
  

• The person financially responsible for treatment should call to discuss treatment costs, managed care certification,  and potential insurance coverage.

Admission

Family members are asked to accompany the patient and to participate in the admission process.

In addition to his or her clinical team, each patient has a Care Coordination team to assist with information regarding services and programs at Menninger.

Menninger services are within the definition of "Mental and Nervous" benefits. Most insurance requires pre-admission or EAP certification before full benefits are available. We ask that individuals provide us with the telephone numbers for both verification of benefits and pre-certification.

We also recommend that persons requesting services contact their insurance carrier(s) to determine potential benefits. The following information may be helpful when determining benefits:

The Menninger Clinic is:

• a private, not-for-profit, free-standing psychiatric hospital;
  

• licensed by the State of Kansas as a hospital;
  

• fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations;
  

• a participating hospital with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas and Medicare;
  

• operated without on-premises surgical facilities. Menninger maintains transfer agreements with nearby hospitals for services."

Marc Ramsey
Communications Specialist