Our Admissions Process

At MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital, we recognize the sensitive nature of the many reasons that people come to us for care. We also understand that the thought of receiving treatment for mental, behavioral, and/or emotional concerns, or chemical dependency can be immensely intimidating. For these reasons, we have dedicated ourselves to making our inquiry and admissions processes as comfortable as possible so as to alleviate any anxiety that you may be feeling.

Our caring and compassionate team of qualified clinicians are available to provide free assessments and offer referral services 24-hours a day, seven days a week. We are here to respond to inquiries, answer any questions you may have, explain the various aspects of treatment we provide and offer the encouragement you need.

Whether you are in need of care for yourself or are looking for a treatment center for a friend or family member, our team of professionals are here to assist you in any way that we can.

There are a number of ways in which you can get in contact with our team here at MeadowWood:

• You may call our admissions department 24/7.
• You may come directly to our treatment center at any time of the day or night and receive a free assessment on a walk-in basis.
• For emergency room referrals, the referring professional will simply be asked to fax the prospective patient’s information, and someone from our admissions team will follow up

If you feel most comfortable contacting us via phone, we encourage you to do so whenever is most convenient for you. When you call, you can expect the following to occur:

• You will speak with an experienced member of our mental health staff.
• You may also speak with a registered nurse, if appropriate.
• The admissions specialist will collect pertinent information, including demographics, insurance information, and the referral source, if applicable.
• The current safety level of the prospective patient is asked, along with any immediate presenting concerns or symptoms.
• A brief description of the program will be provided as needed, and an overview of the personal belongings that you may bring is discussed.
• Every effort will be made to schedule a time for you to come in for an in-depth assessment at MeadowWood. If you are unable to come in for this assessment, you will be provided with alternative resources.

If you prefer to come to our treatment center as a walk-in without first calling, you are able to do so. At that time, you will meet face-to-face with one of our assessment specialists who will begin gathering appropriate information. Once that basic information is gathered, which is the information that would otherwise have been provided over the phone, you will be able to immediately receive the in-depth assessment.

Upon arriving at MeadowWood, you can expect the following to take place:

• The receptionist will ask you to fill out basic registration paperwork.
• Your photo ID and insurance card will be photocopied.
• A name band will be supplied.
• An identification photograph will be taken.
• A pocket-search for contraband will be completed.
• You will be offered various comfort measures, including food and/or drinks.
• If you did not speak to someone on the phone prior to coming to our treatment center, you will meet with an assessment specialist at this time to provide the basic information that you would have otherwise provided while speaking with him or her over the phone.

The assessment that you will participate in upon arriving at our treatment center is used to help us determine what the most appropriate level of care will be in order to meet your specific needs and address your presenting concerns. This Acute Needs Assessment will be given by a Masters level clinician or a registered nurse in order to ensure that an appropriate level of care is recommended.

If your assessment takes place with a registered nurse, he or she will then consult with an on-call psychiatrist regarding the information that you have provided. If your assessment takes place with one of our Masters level clinicians, he or she will consult with both the on-call psychiatrist and a registered nurse. This consultation will then allow for the final level of care to be determined and then recommended to you.

If it is determined that your needs will be best met in our inpatient treatment setting, admission sign-in paperwork will be completed and your personal rights will be explained so that you are able to obtain a full understanding of what you can expect while you are in our care. At that time, one of our team members will show you to your room and you will become acclimated to the treatment environment.

If it is determined that your needs will be best met in our outpatient partial hospitalization program (PHP), you will either begin programming right away (depending on the time of day), or you will be given a PHP start-date. If transportation to and from our treatment center is needed in order for you to be able to attend programming, our admissions department can help make those arrangements.

All admissions into programming at MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital are done on a case-by-case basis because we recognize that no two situations are ever identical. That being said, there are some general criteria that we have in place in order to ensure that individuals are appropriate for care in our inpatient setting.

To be treated at MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital, prospective patients typically must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Requires detoxification services due to being In active withdrawal following a period of sustained substance use (we are equipped to treat alcohol, benzodiazepine, and opioid withdrawal)
• Presents with suicidal ideation with intent/plan
• Has made a suicide attempt
• Presents as being a danger to others, including those who have intent or a plan to harm others
• Has made an attempt at inflicting serious physical harm on a person or persons
• Suffering from active psychosis that results in being a danger to oneself or others
• Experiencing severe mania
• Suffering from severe impulsivity or an inability to function that has potentially contributed to being a danger to oneself and/or others

The average length of stay for patients in the detox setting is approximately five days. For those being treated in the inpatient setting, the average length of stay is approximately seven days.

Please note that adolescents must have parental or guardian consent for admission into MeadowWood, as this is legally required in the state of Delaware.

As is also the case with inpatient treatment, appropriateness for admissions into our PHP is always determined on a case-by-case basis. However, patients must typically meet one or more of the following criteria in order to benefit from our partial hospitalization programming:

• Experiencing severe difficulty functioning outside of a hospital setting
• Suffering from frequent panic attacks that interfere with functioning
• Suffering from suicidal ideation without plan or intent
• Suffering from psychosis or mania that interferes with functioning, but that does not require the 24-hour monitoring of an inpatient setting

If you are in need of care for a behavioral health concern or a substance abuse problem, please contact us today to see if we can assist in meeting your needs. Likewise, if you have a family member or loved one who you believe might be able to benefit from our care, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to speaking with you and answering any questions you may have.