Children’s Psychiatric Center (CPC) Inpatient Program

Program Description

UNMH Children's Psychiatric Center, offers inpatient, acute psychiatric hospitalization to youth who are an imminent danger to themselves, to others, or who are gravely disabled. This program is not a residential or long-term care facility, but instead is intended to provide short-term stabilization of behavioral crises or severe symptoms with the intention that the youth will return to the home environment or a longer-term care facility. Once a youth has stabilized and no longer meets criteria for inpatient hospitalization, they will be discharged even if they are pending acceptance to a residential facility. This is to minimize the amount of time that a youth is removed from a home environment, and to increase access to the community for those in an active crisis. 

Services Provided

(Youth at CPC receive basic medical support and screenings, and have school and recreational activities.) Youth are grouped together based on age and individual needs. Youth are supported and supervised by caring staff 24/7 which include: Counselors, Mental Health Techs, Nurses, Psychologists, Case managers, Medical Doctors and Psychiatrists. The CPC team uses a wide variety of therapeutic modalities to help youth through their crisis with special focus on emotion regulation, coping skills, and distress tolerance. 

• Medication management 
• Case management focused on discharge planning 
• Individual therapy 
• Group therapy: provided by therapists, mental health techs, nurses and community support workers 
• Family interventions 
• Comprehensive safety planning 
• Occupational therapy 
• Milieu therapy 
• Token economy system to encourage behavioral health growth 

Referral Process