Acute Inpatient Care
Acute inpatient hospitalization occurs only with a physician's order for conditions that cannot be safely or effectively treated on an outpatient basis. It is the most intensive level of care offered, providing 24-hour skilled nursing observation; daily interventions and oversight by a psychiatrist; and intensive, highly coordinated treatment by a physician-led team of mental health professionals. Inpatient hospitalization is always short-term and designed to quickly stabilize the most serious symptoms to allow a quick transition to less intensive levels of care.
West Hills Hospital offers acute inpatient care for adults, adolescents ages 13-18, and children ages 4-12. Dual diagnosis programs are available for adults and adolescents with a secondary chemical dependency diagnosis.
Advantages of Acute Inpatient:
- Safe, controlled, structured environment
- 24-hour skilled nursing care
- Intensive physician involvement
- Physician-led multidisciplinary treatment team
- Able to utilize both medication and psychotherapy, as appropriate
- Medically supervised detoxification (for alcohol and drugs)
- Intensive treatment not available on an outpatient basis
- Tutorial-based school program available
- Up to 10 hours of daily programming
- Seven-day-a-week programming