Lakeside Center Crisis Stabilization Program

The Crisis Stabilization Program (CSP) for Children and Adolescents is a medically monitored short-term residential service that provides psychiatric and behavioral stabilization and detoxification. The CSP is designed to serve as a first line alternative to hospitalization in state hospitals. Crisis Stabilization Residential Services are intended for individuals who are experiencing a period of acute stress that significantly impairs the capacity to cope with normal life circumstances. The CSP is not a designated treatment facility or service. Consumers are served in a safe, locked environment. The program operates under the supervision of the program physician and nurse manager. Psychiatric stabilization services offered within the CSP shall not exceed services described in Level Six of the Child and Adolescent Level of Care Utilization System for Psychiatric and Addiction Services.

Program Goals

In an effort to fulfill its mission and purpose, The Crisis Stabilization Program has established the following goals:

  • To provide a safe, structured and supportive environment
  • To stabilize the presenting crisis
  • To reduce the frequency of admission and re-admission to Central State Hospital,
  •  To provide immediate crisis stabilization residential services
  • To improve the quality of life for consumers, families and/or significant others by initiating and facilitating appropriate linkages with community resources
  • To educate consumers, families and significant others about mental illness, substance abuse and developmental disabilities and how to manage/cope with the illness /disability
  • To facilitate transition to a less intensive level of service 

Purpose

The Crisis Stabilization Program is a medically monitored, short-term residential service operated by Georgia Regional Hospital at Savannah for the purpose of providing psychiatric stabilization and detoxification services. 

Consumers not needing crisis stabilization services but requiring a less restrictive continuum of care will be referred and treated through outpatient services, day treatment and/or community support services if indicated.

Program Description

The Child and Adolescent Crisis Stabilization Program provides rapid response to consumers who are in urgent need of crisis management services. While most crises are part of an individual’s normal range of life experiences, some are outside the bounds of his/her coping resources and require expert help to achieve recovery. When a consumer is experiencing an acute crisis, stabilization of symptoms is a primary task.  

The CSP is designated as an emergency receiving and evaluation facility within the state of Georgia that receives and evaluates both voluntary and involuntary consumers from within its 24-county service area.  The goals of the Child and Adolescent Crisis Stabilization Program are to evaluate each consumer and (based upon evaluation) admit the consumer for further evaluation and stabilization, or refer him/her to an acute care medical facility, to Central State Hospital or back to his/her community for continuing care in an outpatient or residential setting. 

The Child and Adolescent Crisis Stabilization is a short-term, twenty-four hour residential program operated as a part of a comprehensive community mental health and substance abuse services and designed to provide stabilization or detoxification services for children and adolescents. The CSP has been designed to: 

  • Serve consumers who are experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis for which outpatient services are insufficient, and more restrictive care is necessary 
  • Provide a community-based alternative to hospitalization where continuous and integrated services are available to meet the needs of the consumer and his/her family 
  • Provide immediate crisis stabilization services to prevent likely exacerbation of symptoms both for consumers presenting for initial crisis services and for current consumers requiring a more intensive level of care 
  • Provide a community-based service that interfaces with other community agencies, including the judicial system, DFCS, local health departments and hospitals, and other mental health providers in meeting the holistic needs of the consumer 
  • Initiate integration of services to further stabilize the consumer’s condition and prepare him/her for transfer to an alternative level of care

Location

The Crisis Stabilization Program is located at 600 DOT Barn Road, Bloomingdale, Georgia. The Crisis Stabilization Program (a designated emergency receiving and evaluation facility) provides residential detoxification and psychiatric services.

Number of Beds/Transitional Beds

  • The Child Adolescent CSP has sixteen beds, two of which may be designated as transitional beds (for the consumer whose symptoms have stabilized and is beginning his/her transition back into the community). 
  • Consumers occupying transitional beds may remain in the CSP beyond 10 days excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only if they are receiving services outside of the CSP on a daily basis (see length of stay)

Target Populations

The target population served in the Crisis Stabilization Program is children and adolescents ages 5-17 requiring psychiatric, behavioral stabilization, and adolescents ages 13-17 with substance related disorders or with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse needs.  Youth through age 21 may be served at the CSP provided it is clinically indicated and is based on the youth’s maturational age. The Medical Director must approve such admissions.

Crisis Services

The CSP provides crisis services twenty-four hours per, day seven days a week. Potential consumers may access after hour crisis services by calling (912) 330-8335 during regular business hours Monday through Friday.  The crisis hotline is forwarded to the CSP from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on weekdays, holidays and 5:00 p.m. Friday, to 8:00 a.m. Monday. 

Referral Sources

Referrals are received from the hospitals, family members, probation and parole, Department of Family and Children Services, and other agencies from the counties served by the Southeastern Region.

Admission Criteria

Consumer demonstrates symptoms consistent with DSM 1v-TR diagnosis, which requires and will respond to therapeutic interventions, is medically stable and demonstrates any one of the following: 

  • Eminent danger to self or others
  • Significant psychiatric morbidity as evidenced by symptoms or behaviors that require continuous monitoring or assessment (severe psychosis, etc.)
  • Drug or alcohol use that meets ASAM

Services Provided

Consumers will be provided the following services as indicated on an individual basis: 

  • Group Counseling: Designated to assist consumers in dealing with issues related to substance abuse and mental illness, group counseling can be expected to reduce feelings of isolation and improve interpersonal relationship skills.
  • Individual and Family Counseling: This service consists of interaction between the consumer and the liaison counselor on a one-one basis and focuses on issues pertinent to each individual consumer. Problem areas encountered by the consumer while in treatment will be addressed and progress documented.
  • Substance Abuse Education: This service is designed to provide first time and repeat enrollees an opportunity to understand the various aspects of substance abuse and addiction, from the medical aspects of chemical addiction to family issues related to chronic abuse.
  • Recreational and Leisure Activities: Scheduled activities are designed to assist the consumer in developing constructive use of free time. It will introduce consumers to available resources in the community, and assist consumers in developing a pattern of constructive free time after discharge from the program.
  • Self-help Group Orientation: Introduces the consumer to self-help support groups such as AA and NA, and the integral part they play in maintaining sobriety and drug free status on a long-term basis.
  • Laboratory Services: All consumers admitted must have routine lab tests, complete blood count, chemistry profile, RPR, urinalysis, urine drug screen, tuberculin skin test and pregnancy test (females age 11 and over)
  • Class Room Education: During his/her admission, each child/adolescent will receive classroom education services provided by certified teachers and instructors. Upon discharge documentation of this education will be forwarded to his/her school.