Lake Behavioral Hospital: Always Finding a Way

Wisconsin residents who need mental health services can now be treated close to home. In an unprecedented agreement between more than a dozen municipalities and taking more than 5 years to complete the process, the team at Lake Behavioral Hospital proudly announces a “GO Live” date of May 30,2023, for Chapter 51 patients to receive treatment just minutes across the Wisconsin/Illinois state line vs several hours from their homes and communities.

The benefits for this agreement are many. Previously, people in a mental health crisis in Kenosha would be transferred from their local Emergency Room via police transport to communities like Winnebago. Although patients could receive appropriate treatment, having the patient be so far from home and away from family and other support systems could be quite the emotional burden in an already emotionally charged situation. For the police providing transport, nearly a full day of transport time and the work hours for two officers were a burden to their home department. Those officers need to be closer to the communities who depend on them.

To explain, Chapter 51 is a way of creating a safety net for someone who is substantially at risk for self-harm or is a danger to themselves or others. Being transported to services allows for increased safety and a defined location for a program that can help. In the case of Wisconsin residents needing crisis services for mental health, being transported over several hours certainly would elevate fear and anxiety. A 20-30-minute transport time makes a world of difference and allows for much easier discharge planning closer to home.

Lake Behavioral Hospital is grateful to be a part of this life changing process and proud to have worked with a multitude of professionals from a variety of law enforcement agencies and Kenosha –local government officials.

As always, any person who is not in an ER in Kenosha, can still come directly to Lake Behavioral Hospital via appointment or walk-in for an assessment for mental health services. One call to 855-990-1900 is the way to access the Assessment and Referral Team who will identify the best level of care for the mental health concern.

Lake Behavioral Hospital: Intensive Outpatient Programs

The Intensive Outpatient (adults) and Partial Hospital Programs (youth 13-17 years old) at Lake Behavioral Hospital are grounded in group therapy. Group therapy has proven successful in helping patients grow and learn, and thrive in recovery from mental illness and substance abuse. The following skills that are developed during our peer-supported programs are what makes our outpatient programs places of health and healing:

  1. By being involved in peer groups, a lifelong skill of learning to relate to others is naturally developed. The Lake Behavioral team then works to help patients explore concepts of sympathy and empathy which will cement relationship development and encourage kindness.
  2. Patients share their story. This is helpful in helping other group members fully understand that many people live with mental illness and thrive. They begin to understand that they are enough and that they are not alone. They also learn to listen non-judgmentally.
  3. The Lake Behavioral team ensures that patients have a clear understanding of who their support system is and how to development a solid foundation of support before they are discharged.
  4. Patients learn many levels of coping skills, social skills and communication skills. One of the big benefits of outpatient programming is that patients can practice these skills at home or work following programming and return the next day to group to re-report out on successes or struggles. This is learning followed by real time practice. It really makes a difference!
  5. Our patients feel a part of their group. They begin in outpatient, sometimes for the very first time, to understand the importance of feeling like they belong to something bigger than them. Discussing how to find this feeling after discharge is important to recovery.

If you would like to explore how you, a friend or family member, can benefit from IOP or PHP, please do not hesitate to call. We look forward to sharing program information with you. If you have already made the decision to be assessed for program, please call to schedule at 855-990-1900. You may walk-in for an assessment, as well.

Medication Management is Important

Managing medication can be tough; especially if you have medicines to treat both physical health and mental health conditions; or if you are taking several medications. For that reason, please allow us to help you learn more about your medications, hear any feedback about how your meds are helping you, and make sure that your prescriptions are just right for you. Allow us to help oversee the process of medication management.

Here are some benefits in allowing our team to support you as you navigate the world of medication and health:

  1. The team at Lake Behavioral Hospital cares about you. With that in mind, know that your medication management is all about you. We collaborate as a team and keep in mind that no two people experience the same medication in the same way. There are many things to consider and we are here to help. Medication management is more than just giving us a list and dosage information of all of your meds. To really make medication work for you, your Lake Behavioral Hospital team will pay close attention to your overall health, the number and kind of medications you are taking, and how your own personal lifestyle or work life may factor into having positive medication outcomes.
  2. Multiple medications, it seems, are the norm for many people. Our team pays attention to what you are taking so that risk of drug interaction is minimized. A comprehensive exploration of your medications will help make sure that you are living without unwanted medication side effects. We want to know what meds you are taking for what conditions, if you have any medication allergies, whether you take over-the-counter meds, and what impact each of these meds have had on you. If a new medication has been prescribed for you, we will make sure it is a match for you and your specific condition.
  3. Medication management will help you find a medication routine. Taking your meds consistently and on time is necessary. You will find that our program will help you develop a successful medication routine and you won’t have to worry about many different instructions and physicians to meet with to manage your meds. One team, in one location, is exactly what you need.
  4. With a busy lifestyle, it can be easy to mix up your meds like taking them on the wrong day or time or being forgetful and doubling up on a dose. Every day people misuse medications accidentally and take the risk of a real health problem like hospitalization. Routines and education are key to making medications that are life enhancing and life-saving. Medication management can help reduce adverse reactions and reduce the risk of hospitalizations related to these errors by ensuring that your medications don’t negatively interact, helping you learn when and how to take your specific medications, and identifying any foods to avoid while taking your medications.
  5. Medication management is an opportunity. Work with our Lake Behavioral Hospital medication management professionals. We can observe your progress and process your recovery. We can answer your questions and share information.

Let’s Get Going!

Call 855-990-1900 and ask to speak to our team regarding medication management. You will find increased comfort in knowing that we are helping you stay safe. Medication management is important. Let us show you how. We look forward to meeting you!

Is IOP Right for You? Here are some facts.

Therapy is important. Therapy creates a foundational impact for health. Therapy saves lives. It is a step in recovery that should not be missed.

The Lake Behavioral Hospital Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is one way to get support for a mental health condition in an environment that allows you to return too work and home, and practice skills as you learn them.

Other advantages of IOP are:

  1. IOP is based on peer groupwork. You will have an opportunity to have an immediate support group of people who can listen to your goals and help you. It is always good to be in a judgement–free zone where people are working together to find positive mental health.
  2. At Lake Behavioral Hospital, you can meet in IOP in person or we have the availability for you to join a virtual group. This makes it even easier for you to make the most of your personal time.
  3. Our IOP team wants to see you each day of program, so we provide transportation to and from your location. We even provide lunch and a snack!
  4. Our groups are approximately one hour long, so you have a chance to learn a skill and discuss ways to use it with your peers.
  5. IOP has a benefit unrelated to group that many people don’t even consider. IOP helps you establish a routine and routines are productive ways to get back to a healthy lifestyle.
  6. You will have an opportunity to learn what your community has to offer and learn how to access resources that will benefit your health and recovery.

The Lake Behavioral Hospital IOP will help you succeed and help you set long term goals. You will have the skills you need, resources that you will value, and a new way of looking at your potential for being your best.

To learn more or to receive a free assessment to determine if IOP is right for you, please call us at 855-990-1900.

Mental Health Month May Mean Making Changes

May has been the identified month for mental health since 1949. It means changing our beliefs about what it means to be unwell, making personal efforts to reduce stigma, and accepting responsibility for staying as mentally healthy as we possibly can. It may also mean making changes to become healthier and keeping our health in the front of our minds and our efforts.

Here are some ideas for choosing change and some ways to make those changes stick. Remember positive efforts often lead to positive results.

  1. Get motivated: Alert a friend to your struggle. Use their motivation to help too boost your motivation to move forward. Look for joy. Feeling better is more motivating than feeling down. Get outside; nature is a healer. Document the little changes you make and celebrate each one. It is hard to change and every effort you make is really a big deal!
  2. Stay inspired: Remember what caused you to consider making a change in the first place. Keep that thought. It will drive you to stay in the game!
  3. Expect temptation: There will be roadblocks. Expect them and, even better, anticipate them. Anticipation will help you be ready and you will have a plan in place for positive change to take over. Sometimes, you have to allow for a weak moment followed by a do-over. It happens!
  4. Know yourself: Have you set a meaningful, measurable goal? Is this something that will improve your physical and mental health? Is it important to your well-being?
  5. Stay the course: Positive change is worth it.
  6. Be kind to yourself: If you have a setback, try not to get caught up in negative self-talk. Make every effort to not see one day (or even two!) as a permanent failure.
  7. Sometimes the process is worth more than the product: As you develop your positive-change habits, know that you’re setting change in motion every time you follow your plan. The first few times may not be the exact outcome you had been hoping for, but you are on your way.

Mental Health Month will be the perfect time to set change in motion. The positive things you achieve may inspire others to do the same.

May is Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month and no conversation in mental health is more important than one about suicide. Let’s start with some general information; some statistics about suicide in the US.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was responsible for nearly 49,000 deaths in 2021. That is one death every 11 minutes. In the same year, 12.3 million American adults seriously considered suicide, 3.5 planned an attempt and 1.7 attempted suicide. Suicide affects all ages and is among the leading causes of death for people ages 10-64.

Suicide is not easy to talk about and it certainly is not easy to tell someone you are considering suicide. Know that there is hope and help, even when you are feeling hopeless and helpless. Please make the bravest choice you have ever made and tell someone. Sharing your thoughts and feelings is very important. You do not need to struggle alone. There are lots of ways to get help. Here are a few ways to reach out at any time; 24/7/365:

  1. Text: HOME or HELP to 741741. A trained counselor will speak with you via text.
  2. Call 988 and a mental health professional will hear your concerns and be able to connect you with services in your own area.
  3. Dial 911. It is there for emergencies.
  4. Use your local ER by walk-in. Tell them what is going on with you.
  5. Call 855-990-1900 or walk-in to Lake Behavioral Hospital any time.

Know that you can call 211 to learn more about helping resources for all mental health and other issues, but the crisis numbers are listed above.

Please don’t think you are alone. There are helpers waiting to hear your story. You are worth it.

There are people ready to help you at any time of day.

  • Text HOME to 741741 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor any time of day.
  • If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, text or call 988 or use the chat function at org.
  • If this is a medical emergency or if there is immediate danger of harm, call 911 and explain that you need support for a mental health crisis.

Lake Behavioral Hospital: Partial Hospitalization Program for Teens

The challenges that teens face every day can prevent them from living their best life. Social media pressures, peer concerns and academic worries can all cause anxiety, stress, and depression. Teens, especially, have the potential for becoming unwell as they are making every effort to individuate and be independent, and don’t always share what is bothering them as they try to manage things on their own.

Designed to assist teens with their mental health in a peer group setting, the Lake Behavioral Hospital Partial Hospital Program offers group support in learning coping skills, improving academic success, relationship development techniques and discovering how to set daily routines that can make each day more productive. The program lasts approximately 3 weeks and teens attend 6 hours daily, 5 days a week, which includes a school program so teens do not get behind in their school work. Transportation to and from home is provided to make it easier for families.

Our team in our Assessment and Referral Department will make sure that your teen is appropriate for the program with a free, confidential assessment, and if not, help decide what level of care is the best match for your teen in the moment. One call to 855-990-1900 to schedule an assessment or a walk-in at any time during the day may provide the teen with an opportunity for a valuable outpatient resource.

If the teen is not managing well at home or school, has relationship difficulties and is just not living his/her best life, the partial hospital program will be a good match. Treatment works! Partial hospitalization is often the choice for teens because they will get the help they need and still have the ability to leave the program at the end of the day and return to home and friends.

Partial Hospitalization Programming for teens can make a difference

Being a part of a PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) can truly have an impact. It is an effective mode of treatment for teens because it offers freedom to continue to connect to both home and positive peer support systems. When inpatient support is not needed or a teen has completed a stay in the hospital, being assessed for and attending PHP helps the teen expand on skills they have learned or maybe already have, and teaches them how to use them with confidence and in a variety of life’s situations.

It is not easy being a teenager. PHP is an opportunity for them to build coping skills and gain insight into themselves and their behavior. Teens have a chance to practice in PHP with a group of peers learning how to transfer skills to real life settings and explore the how and why of behavior.

To learn more about this program or to set an appointment for a free, confidential assessment, please call the Lake Behavioral team at 855-990-1900.

May is Mental Health Month

Since 1949, May has been the month chosen to focus on mental wellness; reducing stigma and promoting mental health. The National Alliance on Mental Illness indicates in much of its literature that 1 in 5 of us, that is “one of us”, will be affected by mental illness in our lifetime. With that in mind, one of the biggest ways to put stigma in check is to acknowledge the “of us” and accept that you may have a time in your life when you are just not functioning well. You may be feeling down, anxious, or even feeling like life is just too hard. Do what NAMI would ask us to do: remember that people can and do recover from mental illness. The caveat is that acknowledgement, support and professional intervention may all play into moving from unwell to well. Let’s take a look at how.

Professional help is key.

Although this is not an all-case scenario, if you have been feeling like your relationships are failing, your work or school efforts are lower than usual, or you can’t manage the basics of daily living like getting up on time, getting dressed, and sleeping and eating on regular schedules, and it has been going on for two weeks or more (National Council for Community Wellbeing) maybe professional support is a good choice. You should always seek help in a crisis: when you are having suicidal thoughts, when you are thinking about hurting someone else, or if someone is hurting you; but know that you don’t have to be in crisis to look for some support, to look at a problem, or to gain insight into something that just does not feel right. You always have a choice, but don’t let something small grow into something bigger and less manageable.

Here’s why you might consider finding the right professional:

  1. You get help, you won’t be in it alone.
  2. You’ll have someone who will objectively listen.
  3. You can gain insight into solving your problems.
  4. You will find out what barriers are blocking your efforts.
  5. You can set some measurable goals and a timeline for making them happen with someone who can help you be accountable.
  6. You can work through trauma if that is the foundation for your challenges.
  7. You will have a chance to practice and process skills in real time.
  8. You’ll learn about therapies like Cognitive and Dialectical Behavioral Therapies that are evidence-based and proven to have positive impact.
  9. You will feel better about you!

Once you have connected with a professional who feels right to you (remember you are a consumer and looking around and making the choice that is just right for you is important) you can ask about whether inpatient hospitalization, outpatient, intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization is the best level of care for you in the moment.

Most behavioral health hospitals, like Lake Behavioral Hospital have free, confidential assessments that help determine what level of care will be most helpful.

Be a consumer.

You can make your own choices as you look for professional help. Here are some ways to find the right professional:

  1. Talk to people you know. Ask your doctor, your pastor and friends if they have resource ideas for you. If your work has an Employee Assistance Program, you may be able to get some sessions for free.
  2. Ask the professional you have chosen for an initial interview where you can ask questions about their therapy, their expectations and your expectations. Don’t feel like you have to stay with the first professional you call, look for a connection and interview several if you must.
  3. If you are in crisis, you can go to any Emergency Room or go to a behavioral health hospital like Lake Behavioral Hospital. One of the benefits of a facility like this is that many professionals: mental health technicians, nurses, social workers and psychiatrists, will be a part of your treatment during your stay and you will probably connect with more than one professional that makes a difference for you.
  4. Check with your insurance company to see what therapies are covered. Sometimes your insurance may cover certain therapies and a select group of professionals. Some companies provide incentives or discounts for taking care of yourself. Check your plan.

Treatment works when you work it!

Get the most out of your treatment program by being active and questioning. Every question is worth asking. Here are some other ways you can participate:

  1. Have some goals of your own. Lots of treatment providers help you develop goals; bring your own ideas.
  2. Listen to new ideas for finding your strengths and ask lots of questions. Be open-minded.
  3. Be ready for feelings. Treatment can open old wounds, but it will also give you a chance to practice the coping skills you are learning. Go with the flow.
  4. If you have concerns, voice them.
  5. Be candid and thorough. Tell your story.

Do you need more than just talk therapy?

At Lake Behavioral Hospital, you will have nurses and a psychiatrist who work with you. The team may decide that medication will benefit you. Many patients find that medication makes a difference in mood, clarity and impulsivity. Some feel the reduction in symptoms is very favorable and life-enhancing. There can be side effects of any medications and your treatment team will help educate you and manage this during your stay. There should be constant evaluation and lots of opportunity to ask questions or voice your concerns. Keep a journal of questions and reactions. The most important thing to do will be to get educated; here are some things you may want to know.

  1. What is the goal of the medication?
  2. How long does it take to work?
  3. What schedule do I follow?
  4. What are the side effects?
  5. What can be done about side effects?

 The cost of treatment:

If you have private insurance, check your plan. Find out what is covered and if there are any steps you must take to receive your benefits. If you have Medicaid, ask the treatment providers you interview to find out if a Medicaid plan is covered. You may also get a directory at your Medicaid office or online. If you have Medicare, check for service offerings as well. To find out more about service offerings for your type of insurance coverage, check the back of your insurance card for the Customer Service Support line. If you have no funding, there are services available, but you may want to check with 211 or use the “SAMHSA helpline”. Using just that phrase to look it up and calling the number provided will put you in touch with a navigator who help you find services near you.

There is help and hope.

In Lake County, you can call 211 to get lists of resources for everything from housing to mental health. Nationally, dialing 988 will get you in touch with a mental health counselor who will make sure you are safe and connect you geographically to services that will help you right away. Texting help, hello or MHA to 741741 will put you in touch with a counselor who will discuss what is going on and help you find support.

Convenient and easy:

If you or someone you love needs help, know that the team at Lake Behavioral Hospital will be there. Calling 855-990-1900 and making an appointment for a level of care assessment or walking in and asking for Assessment and Referral will put you in touch with qualified mental health professionals who will help you find the level of treatment that is just right for you, right now. Seeking help is self-care and that is what Mental Health Month is all about!

Welcome Samantha “Sam” Peritz to Lake Behavioral Hospital

Samantha Peritz profile picture

The team at Lake Behavioral is delighted to introduce you to the newest member of our Outpatient Programs and Leadership Team. As you may know, our current programs in outpatient include Adult Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization (PHP) programming for adolescents. Samantha Peritz is the new Director of Outpatient Services, where she will be working with her team to provide programs that will help our patients grow and learn about themselves, mental health and recovery. “IOP and PHP are important because they are the midway point between inpatient and individual levels of care.,” says Sam, “I like to think of it as ‘wrap-around-care.’ These kinds of programs are where people can find insight and learn self-advocacy. In working within their groups, they learn how to ask for help and problem solve. People who learn these skills will find them invaluable. They will become resilient and stay resilient in their recovery.” Sam comes to us with a wealth of experience in both inpatient and private practice settings. We wish her luck and encourage you to come meet her or call her to learn more about IOP and PHP. You can always find your Lake Behavioral team members at (855) 990-1900.

If you know someone who could benefit from our outpatient programs, please call the number above. By appointment or walk-in, 24/7/365, we are here to help.