The Lake Behavioral Partial Hospitalization Program

The Lake Behavioral Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is a mental health treatment program where teens ages 13-17 learn about themselves and mental health in a group setting several hours each day, Monday through Friday. Teens take part in the program during the day and return home at night. PHP is a short term program, lasting approximately 2-3 weeks, depending on each teen’s needs and individual progress.

There are two means of program entry. Teens may utilize this program as a step down from inpatient treatment. In this way, they will have an opportunity to continue working on the goals made in the inpatient setting. Teens may also be admitted into PHP without a stay in our hospital. Sometimes this is just what is needed to help avoid a hospitalization.

Once someone seeks treatment for a mental health condition, a team member in Screening and Referral provides a screening to help determine the level of care that is right for each individual. Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is for teens who:

  • Are not in acute crisis
  • Are medically well; medically stable
  • Are experiencing difficulty at school and/or at home
  • Have support to insure treatment success
  • Are willing to participate in program activities
  • Have a mental health condition or a co-occurring mental health condition and a substance abuse disorder

A typical week consists of group therapy, psychoeducation, skill-building growth and practice, along with a weekly one on one with a psychiatrist, who can provide medication management if needed. Family or guardian support sessions are provided to help cement the teen’s success and help guardians and parents understand programming. School work is provided by licensed teachers so teens do not miss school time and school credit while in PHP.

Lake Behavioral Hospital will provide transportation to and from PHP. Since teens are in the program for several hours each day, both snacks and lunch are provided.

To learn more about PHP, please call Screening and Referral at 855-990-1900. Our team will help you schedule an appointment for a free, confidential screening. Walk-ins are accepted.

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Lake Behavioral Hospital offers Partial Hospitalization

Lake Behavioral Hospital offers Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Programs. Each of these are group-based programs providing therapeutic support for individuals who are struggling with conditions and mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, trauma, and bipolar disorder that reduce a person’s ability to function well in relationships, daily routines, and work or school.

Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is both a structured and intensive mental health program for adolescents ages 13 and up. PHP provides group therapy and skill development. Our IOP is for adults and can be attended during the day and virtually in the evening. Medication management is available to our patients in our outpatient programs and separately for those who need that specialized support.

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Lake Behavioral Hospital offers IOP

Getting help is sometimes difficult. Your world of family, work, bills, and responsibilities doesn’t stop because you are feeling unwell. You know, however, that if you don’t find some support you are going to continue to unravel and your ability to cope with your depression, addictions that relate to that depression, anxiety and trauma will continue to be poor. Many people seek the help they need in Intensive Outpatient Programs at Lake Behavioral Hospital. IOP offers you the opportunity to have real world experience where you can practice skills you learn in IOP immediately at home, in your community, and at work. This program, for adults, can be attended during the day, 5 days per week or virtually in the evening. Your recovery works when it works for you.

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In the news

Another school shooting and three children and three devoted school staff are lost. Rising anxiety and even panic among our students, of all ages, relate directly to the feelings that this can happen anywhere and at any time. Mental health problems, in general, are on the rise and these events further fuel conditions like depression and anxiety for our youth and their families.

You could not turn on the TV over the last couple of days without video of a shooter going from room to room at an elementary/middle school with a high-powered rifle. Chances are our kids didn’t miss it either; absorbing the raw fear that goes with knowing that the person was out to kill. These are high profile events with high profile impact. Whether a student was actually involved in such a catastrophic happening or not, the effects are devastating. Our youth are internalizing fear of violence and that may manifest itself in panic attacks, overall anxiety and depression. They simply don’t have the capacity, as their young brains are still developing, to see this as anything other than a direct relation to something that can imminently happen to them.

Feeling unsafe, worrying about guns in a school environment and not feeling in control of being able to prevent these actions from occurring is wearing our kids down. If we were honest, we could probably say that even as adults, this is wearing us down as well. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine uses the term, “vicarious trauma” as a means of explaining that news-related exposure to school shootings, and even just hearing people talk about them, produces the potential for long term fear, anxiety and depression.

If your child is not bouncing back after they learn of these events, be vigilant. Make sure to talk with your child about their feelings and let them process it at their own pace. Post trauma occurrences are not to be rushed. It takes time.

Young people in our country have shown increased rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality. If your child is experiencing trauma related-depression or anxiety, or has expressed unrelenting fear or suicidal thoughts, don’t hesitate to call Lake Behavioral Hospital. We can help. A free, confidential screening will determine what level of care is the best fit for your child. Please call, (855) 990-1900.

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New Agreement Improves Access to Care for Kenosha County Residents

Lake Behavioral Hospital can now make a bigger difference for Kenosha County residents in need of psychiatric care. An intergovernmental agreement signed into effect earlier this month will allow Kenosha County and local law enforcement agencies to utilize Lake Behavioral Hospital for Chapter 51 mental health detentions. The six-year process to discuss and develop the agreement was worth the effort, as it will increase access to care for those in mental health crisis and reduce the burden on local agencies and law enforcement. For more information on the agreement, click here.

Lake Behavioral Hospital, located in Waukegan, provides inpatient and outpatient mental health services for adolescents and adults. Free, confidential screenings are available 24/7 by calling (855) 990-1900.

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Valentine’s Day: A Good Day for Good Mental Health

Candy, flowers, cards and a special someone on your arm as you walk into a fancy restaurant for a delicious Valentine’s Day celebration is the perfect picture. Social media posts are highlight reels of the very best of times: all smiles and happy moments. These flawless pictures, frozen in time, can lead to pressure and sadness for some who just can’t seem to “fill the big shoes” of the perfect Valentine.

Let this Valentine’s Day be the most relaxed and enjoyable ever. Set some priorities and just have fun. Celebrate with people who matter to you. Make “celebrate” a word that doesn’t mean spending lots of money. Celebrate at home, order some great take-out and watch an old movie. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day as a family. Make cookies together. Have surprise grab bags at each place setting at dinner (love those dollar store gifts!). Have a candy heart race (find it online, it is fun!).

Be a difference-making Valentine! Send cards and letters to friends and family. Drop off cookies to neighbors. Just let people know you care. Have fun with the kids’ Valentine cards; they are very reasonably priced and come in themes. Consider dropping those off at nursing homes, homeless shelters, and food pantries. Someone will appreciate being thought of on Valentine’s Day.

Positive mental health is important. Just being you, surrounding yourself with people who make you feel special, and doing things you love and finding ways to give back are all ways to make this Valentine’s Day, positively healthy!

Your team at Lake Behavioral Hospital wishes you love, caring and compassion on Valentine’s Day. If you find yourself struggling with feelings of isolation and sadness, you know you can call us. By appointment or as a walk-in, you can ask for a free, confidential screening. This will help you determine just what level of care and support will make things feel better for you. Calling 855-990-1900, will connect you with a caring professional. Call; we can help.

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Black History Month Facts

February is Black History Month. Each February offers us an opportunity to learn about the contributions of African Americans to our nation. The theme for 2023 is Black Health and Wellness where we specifically honor African Americans in the medical and healthcare arena.

The beginnings of Black History Month began as a result of Carter G. Woodson, who has been given the title of the “Father of Black History”. By 1926, he was working to make sure that there was a designation of time for Black History. Negro History Week, was the first real focus on black culture and honors for black efforts in all areas across the United States. Black History Month morphed from Negro History Week.

It took 50 years for Black History Month to be formally recognized. Gerald R. Ford called upon our nation’s citizens to recognize “the neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.” Barack Obama reiterated and re-established the importance of experiencing Black History Month as a way of strengthening America.

February was chosen as Black History month as it contains the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. This seemed the perfect month to celebrate both emancipation and the accomplishments of African Americans past and present.

Here are some ways to learn and grow in your knowledge of the influence and impact of African Americans:

  1. Read or listen to the amazing stories on black history through National Public Radio.
  2. Visit your local bookstore; most have special displays on black history.
  3. Just Google it! Read up on historical black figures.
  4. Listen to famous speeches by a host of black Americans throughout our history.
  5. Use your library to select books that you can share as a family.
  6. Volunteer in the name of Black History Month and begin a tradition of honoring those who have made a difference in the face of incredible challenges and adversity.

Make Black History Month purposeful and meaningful for you and your family.

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The Holidays Can Be Challenging

For those impacted by mental illness, the holidays can be especially challenging. Being away from regular routines, having the temptations of unhealthy eating or drinking, memories of loss and other traumas and high expectations can create stress that can seem insurmountable.

According to a study by NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 64% of those with a mental illness identified the holidays as seeming to make their mental health condition worse. Although the holidays are exciting and joy-filled times for some, others feel lonely and anxious. Depression can weigh heavy on people who cannot seem to connect with others or whose support systems are not as accessible during the holiday season. For someone with mental illness, this can be the perfect storm for difficulties maintaining positive mental health.

Here are some ways to make the holidays easier:

  1. Easy does it! If you can limit time at parties, letting the hosts know ahead of time, you can reduce some stress for yourself. If you are the host, plan on “less than perfect” and try to have fun. Invite those who bring you joy and are supportive. You don’t have to schedule something every day. A few days just for you, may be just what you need to regroup from activity-filled days.
  2. Accept that the holidays are different for you than some others you may know. You probably know your triggers. With this information in mind, you can prepare for additional counseling support before the holidays so you can be ready with coping skills and ideas for managing your feelings.
  3. Start a gratitude tradition. Begin the holiday with cards or letters thanking special people for all the ways they have supported you through the year and all the ways they have helped you be your best. Gratitude is healing and can actually improve both physical and mental health. Your gratitude letters may also encourage people to support you even more through the holidays.
  4. Routines can help. Create a holiday calendar so things are not left undone and so you can clearly see whether you are sliding into a holiday habit of over-booking. Remember saying no is ok. Maybe you can say no to something now and book it for after the holiday. This may help you avoid the holiday let down of having nothing to do after all the excitement of the season ends.
  5. Keep in mind that you can only be in charge of you and your own behavior. You cannot control, nor are you responsible for the behavior of others. Limit your time with those who create difficulties for you. Keep yourself healthy by creating healthy boundaries.
  6. To be healthy, you must “do” healthy. Eat well, sleep enough, exercise, connect with support or a faith-based community, avoid drugs or alcohol and be honest with yourself about how you are feeling.
  7. Don’t discount the benefits of professional support. When things overwhelm you and it begins to impact work/school, relationships or how you manage your day, perhaps a wellness check would be a good choice.

Overall, the holidays should be a joy-filled time of the year. By putting some of these suggestions into place, you may just find that you are having a good time, creating new, fun memories and looking forward to next year.

If you are finding that the holidays are painful times, please don’t suffer through it alone and without support. Let the caring and professional team at Lake Behavioral Hospital help you by providing a free, confidential screening that will determine a level of support that will meet you where you are at in this moment and time. Call us 24/7/365 at 855-990-1900. We are here to help.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness. Those three words strike you differently if you have ever had breast cancer. Often what you live with is the constant post-traumatic stress of its potential return. The fear that cancer might return can produce debilitating anxiety and depression.

Since we all deal with feelings differently, the way we respond to the feelings that can go with a cancer diagnosis can differ greatly. Some of us seek support. More of us try to tough it out, hiding behind a cheerful and grateful mask. Sometimes anger at our circumstances and feeling isolated, lonely, and scared overwhelms us.

Regardless of how we manage feelings, our work and personal lives may begin to suffer under the stress and anxiety that any cancer diagnosis may bring. The team at Lake Behavioral Hospital is available to help. One call will connect you with professionals who understands how difficult these feelings can be. A free, confidential screening will identify the level of care you need to get through tough times. Please call 855-990-1900. We are available 24 hours a day. We are here for you.

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Lake Behavioral Hospital Launches New Virtual Evening Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Lake Behavioral Hospital now offers virtual evening intensive outpatient groups. The program is offered Monday through Thursday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm via a secure telehealth platform. The intensive outpatient program (IOP) at Lake Behavioral Hospital is designed to help individuals who require more support than traditional weekly outpatient therapy. Participants benefit from group therapy facilitated by a licensed mental health therapist. Therapeutic groups focus on identifying triggers, developing coping skills and self-awareness, and encouraging peer support.

Lake Behavioral Hospital continues to offer morning in-person IOP services as well. For more information about programs at Lake Behavioral Hospital or to schedule a screening, please call our 24/7 screening and referral team at (855) 990-1900.

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