Your Mental Health Assessment
We live in a moment when it seems like everything is moving quickly. In an effort to keep up with all of the demands on our time and attention, it is easy to take shortcuts, miss details, or make assumptions. For some cases, that might be no big deal. In other cases, it can be quite serious.
In the latter category: Taking care of your mental health.
When it comes to your mental well-being, you don’t want shortcuts, missed details, or assumptions. You want careful assessment and evidence-based, personalized care.
And that is exactly what you will find at Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health.
We Will Listen to—And Learn About—You
If you have concerns about your mental health, it is a good idea to pursue an assessment. You do not need a referral to schedule an assessment at Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health, and the initial consultation is free.
During our first conversation with you, we will listen carefully so that we can learn some key things about you and your situation. Some of things we will explore include:
- Your personal and family medical history
- The current issues and symptoms you are struggling with
- Your current level of crisis (We should note here that you do not have to believe you are currently in crisis to schedule an assessment of your overall mental health)
We are committed to hearing what you have to say. We will not jump to conclusions or offer a cookie-cutter recommendation. Instead, we will make a recommendation based on best practices, our expertise and experience, and our commitment to personalized care.
That commitment remains even if we determine that we do not offer the appropriate level of care—or if you decided that Johnstown Heights is not the best fit for you. In those cases, we will provide you with our best recommendations for other treatment options.
The Options Arising From Assessment
So what sort of recommendation might we make after your initial assessment? There are a number of options.
- Outpatient care
- Residential treatment
- Inpatient acute care
Outpatient Care
Outpatient care means that we recommend you see a therapist on a regular basis. Perhaps, for example, we will determine you would benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy or another therapeutic approach.
Residential Care for Mental Health
Residential care is just what it sounds like: you live on our beautiful campus for a few weeks and experience full-time treatment programming. Our residential treatment program includes individual and group therapy—and a focus on giving you the strategies and confidence you need to improve your mental health and maintain that improvement over time.
Inpatient Care
If we determine during your initial assessment that you are an immediate threat to either yourself or others, we will pursue acute inpatient care, which involves a 72-hour (three full days) involuntary hold. During those three days, our staff will work to stabilize you and your mental health as rapidly as possible. Once that stability has been achieved, you will be able to begin the treatment plan that is appropriate based on what was determined during your first assessment.
We want to emphasize that these 72-hour involuntary holds are quite rare and only used in the most dire of circumstances. As a rule, you should not be concerned that you will be held for care simply because you came in for an assessment. Instead, you will have a productive conversation designed to identify the best ways in which Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health can help you address any mental health disorders that may be disrupting your day-to-day life.
We Invite You to Assess Whether We Are Right For You
Seeking out help for mental health issues isn’t always easy. In fact, many people put it off because they are embarrassed to admit they need help or because they are afraid of disappointing someone in their life. But mental health disorders like the various kinds of depression, anxiety and panic disorders, and issues caused by trauma are all treatable—and taking a proactive approach and getting help is essential to improving your overall quality of life.
At Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health, we bring to bear our expertise, experience, compassion, and commitment to a continuum of care to ensure each client receives treatment that is specific to their needs and situation. We invite you to make an appointment for an initial assessment (remember, you don’t need a referral of any kind). That assessment is a two-way street. We’ll learn about you so that we can be honest and clear about the ways in which we can help, and you’ll learn about us and discover whether or not our approach to mental health care is a good fit for you. We look forward to the conversation.
