Acute Inpatient Treatment
A Unique Place to Receive Care
The Children's Unit at Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health is a family-centered treatment environment that will focus on the behavioral health needs of our youngest patients, ages six to eleven. The staff in this 12-bed unit will provide compassionate care, effective interventions and individualized plans that meet the unique needs of our patients and their families.
The Children's Unit at Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health will provide crisis stabilization for children whose acute symptoms require around the clock supervision in a safe and structured therapeutic setting. The unit will provide an interdisciplinary team consisting of child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, family, play, art, move and dance/movement and therapeutic recreation therapists, case managers, mental health technicians and pastoral care professionals who work with the child and family members.
The treatment team will work closely with the child and parents or guardians, so the child can safely transition to the most appropriate level of care needed outside of the hospital. The average length of treatment will be five to seven days in this treatment intensive environment.
Program Services to Be Offered
- Diagnostic and medication assessments
- Family meetings to ensure the patient's recovery
- Experienced staff trained in providing psychological and physical safety, and current management of complex pediatric behavioral and emotional difficulties
- A behavioral reward program highlighting the child's successes on a daily basis
- School sessions to provide continuity with the child's real world daily schedule
- Expressive therapies, including play, art and music therapy
- An outdoor play yard that utilizes recreation therapy to promote relaxation through movement and learning of group skills
- A health-oriented, problem solving approach to the identified factors precipitating hospitalization to provide the child and family with a skill set addressing the moment to moment challenges they will face after treatment
- Semi-private rooms
- Parent education support groups during and following the patient’s stay
- Careful discharge planning
In the News
New Mental Health Center in Rockville is the First of its Kind in the County
The Gazette (March 1, 2006)