MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital is the trusted provider of treatment for adults and adolescents suffering from schizophrenia in New Castle & Wilmington, Delaware. With the area’s top mental health experts, a multidisciplinary approach, and a blend of behavioral, experiential, and medication-based therapies, we craft unique treatment plans to start our patients on their road to recovery.
Schizophrenia Treatment
Learn more about schizophrenia treatment at MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital in New Castle, DE
Individuals who grapple with the distressing symptoms of schizophrenia often require intensive mental health care in order to regain control of their lives. At MeadowWood Behavioral Health System in New Castle near Wilmington, we are pleased to offer such care so that those who are plagued by this serious psychiatric condition can find relief from the debilitating symptoms that come with having schizophrenia. The delusions and hallucinations that are cornerstone to this illness have the potential of causing a great deal of disruption in a person’s life. Psychotic episodes coupled with the inability to distinguish what is real and what is not can negatively affect an individual’s functioning in a number of settings. The services offered at MeadowWood’s treatment clinic aims to alleviate schizophrenia symptoms so that healthy functioning can be restored and a happy life with manageable symptoms can be realized.
Located on 11 private acres, MeadowWood Behavioral Health System in Deleware is a premier provider of behavioral healthcare and chemical dependency services for adolescents, adults, and senior adults. Offering specialized options that are tailored to meet the unique needs of each population that we serve, we are proud of the compassionate care that we are able to afford to everyone who enters our doors. Our staff is passionate about what we do and is genuine in the care and concern that we offer. We strive to develop plans of success for the patients we treat and we take great pride in the fact that we do what we say we are going to do. We believe that communication is key and we aim to be an open book. Our staff works together like a family; everyone helps everyone. And from the moment you come to us for care, you become part of our family. If you or a loved one is plagued by the debilitating symptoms of schizophrenia and feel like there is nowhere to turn, look no further than MeadowWood. We will do everything in our power to help you get back on track to living the happy, healthy life that you deserve to be living.
How to Help a Loved One
Helping a loved one get treatment for schizophrenia
Having a friend or loved one who is battling schizophrenia can oftentimes be emotionally taxing. You may witness your loved one struggle to differentiate between reality and his or her delusions and hallucinations. You may even notice your loved one’s overall mental health decline as symptoms of this serious illness worsen over time. However, as a friend or family member, there are some things that you can proactively do to assist the person you care for in getting him or her the help he or she needs to improve his or her overall quality of life:
- Learn all that you can about schizophrenia, including its signs, symptoms, and effects. Doing this can offer insight into what your loved one is going through.
- Research viable treatment options that specifically treat this serious mental illness. Care that is designed for those battling schizophrenia can render the most positive treatment outcomes.
- Discuss your concerns with your loved one and offer your unyielding support.
- Consult with a mental health professional that is affiliated with a treatment provider to discuss the process of starting treatment, including the admissions process, how treatment planning is conducted, and the provider’s goals for treatment.
Lastly, as a friend or family member, it is a good idea to be part of your loved one’s care. Doing this can benefit your loved one such that you can learn how you can help your loved one as he or she navigates the therapeutic process and discover other viable resources that can assist your loved one after treatment is complete.
Why Consider Treatment
Why consider treatment for schizophrenia at MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital in New Castle, DE
Because the symptoms of schizophrenia are so devastating, there are several adverse effects that are known to occur should a person not receive care for this illness. Those who suffer from psychotic episodes have a higher risk for substance abuse as many individuals who battle schizophrenia often turn to drugs and/or alcohol to escape from their symptoms. Additionally, those who experience the positive, negative, and/or cognitive symptoms of this disorder frequently resort to self-harming behaviors or attempt suicide when treatment to alleviate symptoms is not sought. Fortunately, there is care available that can significantly reduce these harmful risks.
In many cases, people with schizophrenia present with bizarre behaviors that others may not understand or display symptoms that could be harmful to themselves or others. When these scenarios occur, inpatient care is a treatment option that can stabilize an individual and prevent unnecessary danger from happening. Within this type of treatment, those with schizophrenia have access to qualified and experienced psychiatrists who can evaluate symptoms and recommend and prescribe medications that can reduce the severity of symptoms present. Other mental health professionals, including therapists and social workers, are also available in inpatient care to offer support and guidance during the course of an individual’s care. These professionals can help patients identify symptoms, combat delusions and hallucinations, and instill beneficial coping methods that can ultimately improve a person’s over quality of life. It is within this type of treatment that a person who is diagnosed with schizophrenia can come to understand that life can be happy and healthy even when this disorder is a factor in one’s life.
Our Philosophy
MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital philosophy and benefits
At MeadowWood’s mental health clinic, we are committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive behavioral healthcare and substance abuse services to everyone who is entrusted into our care. Our commitment extends to the family as a whole, and all of our endeavors are aimed at delivering the highest quality of treatment possible in the safest, most comfortable environment available. Our greatest strength is our compassion and our dedication to helping people in their time of need. We do not simply treat the symptoms that our patients present with, we treat the whole person. We focus on all of the little things, because we recognize that all of the little things together are what brings about a true picture of healing. In keeping open communication between clinical team members, our patients, and our patients’ families, we are able to provide exceptional customer service in an empathic manner, ensuring that the main focus always remains solely on our patients and helping them find true recovery that leads to lasting success.
Types of Treatment
Types of schizophrenia treatment offered at MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital in New Castle, DE
At MeadowWood’s behavioral health clinic, we believe that each patient is unique, which is why we focus on treating the person, not just his or her illness. Our treatment teams work closely with patients and their families in order to gain a full understanding of the issues they are facing. By doing so, we are being afforded the ability to create fully individualized treatment plans for each and every patient that specifically addresses all of the concerns that he or she may have. These individualized treatment plans draw upon the vast skill set of a physician-led, multidisciplinary team of clinical professionals that include psychiatrists, Master’s level therapists, care managers, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, recreation therapists, substance abuse counselors, medical consultants, and qualified mental health technicians.
The inpatient services offered here at MeadowWood’s treatment center include an adolescent behavioral program, an adult psychiatric program, a senior behavioral health program, a co-occurring diagnosis program, and medical detoxification programs. Free, confidential mental health assessments are offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week whereupon highly trained and qualified clinicians obtain pertinent information which is then reviewed with one of our physicians. Upon that consultation, a recommendation for the most appropriate level of care will be offered based on the presenting needs and concerns of the patient.
Based on the identified needs of the patients, the most appropriate option will be determined. For those patients who are admitted, the following treatment modalities may be included into their plans for care, of which will be determined based on their specific needs and abilities:
Medical detoxification: For those patients who come to us dependent on substances, medical detoxification may be the first step of the recovery process if drugs or alcohol are present in their bodies. This process is carefully monitored by our physicians and nursing staff. Once detox is complete, patients will begin engaging in a variety of therapeutic interventions.
Medication management: In most instances, psychotropic medications may be implemented in order to help alleviate the distressing symptoms that come with the presence of schizophrenia. However, all medication needs are determined on a case-by-case basis. All patients in all of our units meet with a psychiatrist daily for medication management in order to ensure the therapeutic effectiveness of any medications that are prescribed, as well as to make any changes that may be necessary.
Group therapy: Our approach to treatment at MeadowWood’s mental health clinic is heavily group-focused as we have learned that this type of intervention greatly helps out patients understand that they are not alone in the challenges that they face. This knowledge in and of itself assists patients in heightening their sense of self-worth as they come to understand that they do not need to feel isolated in their struggles. Engaging in groups also encourages patients to find healing in the act of expressing themselves, enhancing self-reliance that works to build their self-esteem. These group therapy sessions cover a vast array of topics, tailored to address issues that are specific to the patients participating in each group.
Individual therapy: Individual therapy sessions are offered to all patients on an as-needed basis. These sessions occur on a one-to-one basis with a patient’s therapist and are designed to be a time to address any concerns the patient may have, to discuss issues that he or she wishes to keep confidential, and to track one’s progress towards reaching his or her treatment goals.
Family sessions: At MeadowWood, we believe that family involvement in one’s treatment is instrumental in eliciting successful treatment outcomes. For this reason, all patients are able to engage in family sessions in order to help family members understand their loved one’s illness, to educate them on how they can best support their loved one, and to help maintain open communication in order to create a healthy family dynamic.
Education: Keeping in mind the importance of a child’s education, our adolescent services incorporate schooling into each patient’s treatment plan so that he or she does not fall behind academically while engaging in treatment for behavioral or emotional concerns. We employ certified teachers who, along with the other members of the adolescent’s treatment team, collaborate with the child’s home school, both in verbal and written form, pending releases of information provided by the child’s parent or guardian.
In addition to the previously mentioned interventions, other types of therapies that are incorporated into our patients’ treatment plans typically include:
- Process groups
- Psycho-education on mental illness
- Positive coping skills education
- Reminiscent therapy (for our senior adult patients)
- Medication education
- Expressive therapy
- Recreational therapy
- Substance abuse counseling
- Substance abuse education
- Pet therapy
Continuing Care
Continuing care and levels of treatment for schizophrenia
The main goal that we have for our patients when they come to MeadowWood’s mental health clinic in New Castle, Deleware is to help them stabilize so that they can move on to a lower, less intensive level of care. For this reason, all aftercare planning begins at the time of admission. As soon as patients are admitted, their treatment team begins the process of preparing a plan for success in order to promote a positive continuation of care once they are discharged from their inpatient stay.
At MeadowWood’s treatment clinic, we offer partial hospitalization for adults and senior adults that is designed to assist them in maintaining stabilization without requiring them to engage in the intensity of full inpatient hospitalization. This program provides structured programming between 8:30am and 2:30pm, allowing patients to return home at night. An intensive, interdisciplinary approach is used in this program, which helps to supplement the recovery process when traditional outpatient treatment is not enough or is not available. In addition, this program works at providing a transition for recent inpatient clients as they begin to integrate back into their everyday lives.
For our adolescent patients, as well as for our adult patients do not require or who have already completed partial hospitalization, our staff will utilize the positive relationships that we have with care providers throughout the community, with whom coordination of services can optimally be managed once patients leave our treatment center.
Whatever your or your loved one’s needs may be, the caring and compassionate staff at MeadowWood Behavioral Health System will devote ourselves to helping you find and maintain true, lasting recovery and healing.