Services
Inpatient Treatment Services
Inpatient Adult Mental Health Unit for Evaluation and Treatment:
The hospital inpatient adult Mental Health Unit (AMH #6) is a 40-bed treatment service that focuses on assessment, stabilization and recovery of individuals who require a psychiatric inpatient level of care not provided elsewhere in the community. Treatment team members include psychiatrist/physician assistant, nurse practitioner, nursing, social work, psychology, activity therapy and others who provide education and therapy. Social Work Staff engage in comprehensive person centered transition planning to promote and coordinate successful discharge planning.
Inpatient Forensic Secure Units for Evaluation and Treatment:
Although our Forensic Inpatient Catchment Area is specifically 71 counties, patients/defendants from any Georgia county may be admitted to West Central.
Secure #2 is a 40-bed, gender-mixed unit for patients who are civilly committed by State or Superior Court orders as either Incompetent to Stand Trial (IST) and without substantial probability of restoration, or as Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI), and at risk to self or others.
Secure # 3 is a 38-bed admission & stabilization unit for men and women, separated by gender, who are here in response to State or Superior Court orders for evaluation of competency to stand trial, for restoration of competence to stand trial, for risk assessment after being acquitted as NGRI, or who are civilly committed as either IST not probably restorable or as NGRI and at risk to self or others. Unit 3 offers a trauma-informed care/resiliency approach for 18 female patients which strives for establishing safety, transparency, peer support, collaboration and empowerment for individuals who have experienced traumatic life events. Residents of Secure #3 range in STEP levels from A which requires metal restraints when outside the unit, to STEP level D or above which means they are able to leave the unit without direct supervision. Efforts are made to transfer patients at STEP D or above to Secure #2. The 10-bed pod for women of Secure #3 is most likely where we will locate our trauma-informed recovery program, currently being developed.
Secure #9 is a 40-bed admission & stabilization unit for men who are admitted for the same reasons and treated in the same manner as described for Secure #2.
Secure Unit #10 is a 36-bed admission & stabilization unit for 18 men and 18 women, separated by gender, who are admitted for the same reasons and treated in the same manner as described for Secure #2.
Client Services
Forensic Services/Psychological Services:
The Forensic Services consists of licensed psychologists, counselors, post-doctoral psychology fellows, and psychology graduate students who provide an integrated program of inpatient and outpatient forensic evaluations and reports, education, consultation, expert witness testimony and related activities. Licensed psychologists and supervised post-doctoral fellows conduct court-ordered pretrial outpatient or inpatient evaluations for competency to stand trial, degree of criminal responsibility and related forensic services to the adult courts within the hospital’s catchment area, and both competency to stand trial evaluation and pre-dispositional psychological studies of outpatient juveniles as ordered by the juvenile courts. Counselors and post-doctoral fellows provide competency restoration group and individual sessions, and other clinical interventions/assessments as needed.
Clinical Psychology services include licensed psychologists and counselors. Although primarily on the 40-bed, AMH Civil #6 unit, they provide a variety of psychological services to inpatients across campus, including psychological assessment and testing, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, psychological consultation with treatment teams, and group and individual psychotherapy sessions. Currently there is one psychologist and one counselor in this program.
Psychology services also include the Positive Behavior Support Team which provides individualized functional analyses and interventions on a referral basis from any WCGRH Recovery Team. The PBS provides 1:1 interventions with hospitalized individuals, observation of individuals and assessment of environmental factors influencing behavior, recommendations for interventions, and training and education to staff members for successfully working with individuals to recover from maladaptive behaviors. Currently there is one psychologist, one behavior analyst, one behavior specialist, one forensic services technician, and one nurse on the PBS Team for up to 186 inpatients.
Rehabilitation Services
Under the umbrella of Rehabilitation Services is: Activity Therapy (AT), Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR), Recovery Team Facilitation (RTF), Therapeutic Incentive Program (TIP) and the Therapeutic Work Program. Each discipline strives to provide our Individuals with the tools necessary to live as independently and fully as possible.
Activity Therapy Service provides treatment to both Forensic and Adult Mental Health Individuals. This is accomplished through structured groups used to assist Individuals in acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to incorporate leisure into their lives in a meaningful way. Evening and weekend enrichment activities provide the Individual with the opportunity to experience organized socialization opportunities. Community re-integration outings are utilized to improve quality of life and to facilitate discharge readiness. These outings provide our Individuals with the opportunity to enjoy local parks, museums, libraries, restaurants, stores, cultural and sporting events and shopping venues. Each month, Activity Therapy Staff provide approximately 52 community outings.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services are designed to promote an individualized approach to wellness, enhance quality of life and increase opportunities to thrive in the community. Through the four PSR Malls, a centralized approach to delivering services that enables the hospital to maximize the therapeutic time of the Individuals by providing an array of wellness and mental health educational opportunities is offered. Groups are designed to focus on specific needs and address skill building as well as general education in areas such as community access, substance abuse , skills for daily living, medication management, mental health education, wellness and recovery, health and physical well- being, social skills, adult basic education, cognitive remediation, coping skills, stress and anger management, structured recreation and relapse prevention. PSR Staff provide an average of 330 groups weekly to both Forensic and Adult Mental Health Individuals.
Our Recovery Team Facilitators work hand in hand with the Individual and Treatment Team to identify the goals and interventions that will be used to move the Individual towards a successful discharge into the community. The Individual Recovery Plans (IRPs) provide not only direction but also a means to measure successful obtainment and completion of the Treatment Goals and Interventions through the 72 hour, 15 day, 30 day, 45 day, 60 day and quarterly IRP.
Our Therapeutic Incentive Program is responsible for distributing and then collecting the TIP Point Cards daily. Individuals are able to earn TIP points by completing positive behaviors/activities pre-determined by the Individual and their treatment Team. Accumulated points can be used in the TIP Store/Café for personal items and special events featuring movie nights, pizza, ice cream and BBQ.
Most prominent in our effort to expand the walls of our active treatment is our Therapeutic Work Program which officially started on July 11th, 2016. Four Individuals began assisting in the Clothing Bank where clothes were inspected, washed, dried, sorted, displayed and distributed where needed. Recently participation increased to seven Individuals and other additional Therapeutic Work sites were begun. Environmental Services trained our Individuals on how to use chemicals safely, buff floors, clean restrooms and wipe tables. Landscaping was added which allows for Individuals spending more time outside. Both flowering plants, vegetables and fruits are cared for by our Therapeutic Work Program participants. Last but not least is our car detailing program where Individuals are tasked with not just "washing" but with extreme cleaning and waxing the vehicles. Knowing that Active Treatment can lead to improved self-esteem, personal growth, behavioral improvements, increased money management and potential financial independence in the community, Rehabilitation Services strives to offer our Individuals the necessary opportunities.
Chaplain Services
The hospital provides Chaplaincy Services through community volunteers representing various religious faiths.
Nursing Services
The foundation of nursing is based on caring, dignity and respect. West Central Georgia Regional Hospital’s Nursing Department embraces the art of nursing as we provide holistic and recovery based services through the nursing process – assessment, diagnosis, identification of outcomes, planning, implementation and evaluation, to one Adult Mental Health unit and four Forensic Units.
Nursing embraces diversity and is culturally sensitive to individuals and staff. A healthy work environment is maintained by skilled communication, with true collaboration, and meaningful recognition. In addition, Nursing continues to be in partnership with individuals, family members, and all disciplines to provide quality health care. All staff members are expected to adhere to standards set by the Georgia Board of Nursing and DBHDD.
The Nursing Department is led by the Nurse Executive who oversees, with the assistance of the Associate Nurse Executive, Unit Managers, Staff Nurses, Forensic Services Technicians, the Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner and the Infection Control Team whose focus is on surveillance, prevention and control of infections. In order to maintain standards set by the Georgia Board of Nursing, American Nurses Association and other regulatory agencies, Nursing ensures that all staff members demonstrate competence through annual skills assessments, peer reviews, coaching and mentoring. Nursing Services further encourages staff in personal and professional growth by promoting the process of lifelong learning.
Nursing is dynamic; therefore, it requires continuous growth and education. The hospital is affiliated with a number of schools of nursing and provides clinical orientation to nursing students.
Psychiatric and Medical Services
Medical services are provided by the medical staff that includes Psychiatrists, Physicians, and Mid-level Providers. All physicians on staff must hold a Georgia State License to practice medicine and are privileged to practice based on their credentials. The Medical Staff bylaws outline the organizational structure and scope of services provided by the medical staff. All medical services are under the supervision of an active member of the medical staff. Duties include the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and discharge of Individuals. The medical staff provides the following medical services: comprehensive psychiatric and medical evaluations, acute care/short-term stabilization, stabilization/recovery services for SPMI, competency restoration for forensic Individuals, ongoing medical/dental care, and comprehensive discharge planning.
Social Work Services
Social Work Services provides clinical services including assessment, treatment to Individuals and family members (including but not limited to individual, family and group counseling/education), advocacy, case management services and discharge transition planning. In addition, social work staff is involved in several aspects of hospital activities including performance improvement and focus team functions. The Social Work Services department also provides internships for students from several universities and colleges.
Clinical oversight/supervision for the Social Work Department is provided by a Master’s Level Social Worker who is also credentialed/licensed eligible as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) through the Georgia Composite Board. The responsibilities of this individual include clinical oversight of the social work staff assigned to the facility, planning, and implementation of social work services. Master Level Social Work staff oversees the psychosocial assessment process including discharge/transition planning of all individuals admitted.