Ongoing mental health struggles such as depression and anxiety can feel isolating and overwhelming. Mental Health Day Treatment through ThedaCare Behavioral Health provides people with professional support to work through their struggles — and to recognize they aren’t alone.
The program, offered at ThedaCare Behavioral Health-Menasha, provides six-week, intensive outpatient services. It begins with full-day treatment and progress to half days to provide ongoing support.
“It’s a great option for people who do not need to be hospitalized, but may need more support than a regular appointment with a therapist can provide,” says Holly Wilson, LCSW, intake coordinator for the Mental Health Day Treatment program.
Program Overview
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. More than one in 20 experience serious mental illness in any given year.
Most people in Mental Health Day Treatment are experiencing depression or anxiety. Others may have another condition such as bipolar disorder, borderline personality or schizophrenia.
The program was established within ThedaCare about 25 years ago and has created a strong curriculum of coping strategies for people. It offers several treatment types, including art, music and group therapy. These combine with cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy, which can help people restructure thinking to manage difficult emotions.
“We cover a lot of different therapy modalities, and that’s really because patients often gain the most benefit from different approaches,” Wilson says.
Adults ages 18 and older can take part in the program. It draws people from all ages and backgrounds.
“Mental health does not discriminate,” Wilson says. “It’s heartwarming to see someone in their 70s connect with a 20-year-old. The insight and life lessons that are shared are so valuable.”
What to Expect
When people enter the program, they are assigned a primary therapist who stays with them throughout their time. Participants attend multiple group sessions each day. That’s a prospect that often makes people nervous, Wilson says, but it’s one of the most important aspects of the program.
“There is something to be said about being in a group of people who really, truly understand where you’re coming from and what you’re dealing with in life,” she says. “A lot of times when people struggle with their mental health, they isolate themselves. But after participating in group sessions, I often hear patients say, ‘I haven’t had a conversation like that in a really long time, or I haven’t laughed like that in years.’”
Participants also receive a binder that includes the full curriculum and homework that continues even after completing the program.
“If you do need extra support for whatever reason, you can seek out a counselor,” Wilson says. “All the counselors here have so much experience. They’re kind. They’re open. They’re here because they want to be here and they care about the patients who come into the program.”
The program, which accepts most insurance plans, also can provide crisis management and connect people to community resources they may need. In addition, a psychiatrist on the day treatment team meets with patients on a weekly basis.
“That’s really helpful, especially for people who have complicated medications or just need more medication management to help with their mental health symptoms,” Wilson says.
Entering the Program
People may come into the program through a couple of avenues, including self-referral or as a follow-up to inpatient mental health care in a hospital. Others are referred through ThedaCare Behavioral Health Walk-In Care-Neenah, says Kathleen Tithof, LCSW, a mental health clinician with the clinic.
“Anyone who is in crisis, anyone who feels like they need some services, can come to our walk-in clinic,” Tithof says.
The clinic offers the care of two mental health clinicians, a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner, and a substance use disorder specialist. Care is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The walk-in clinic is an important resource for community members who are struggling with their mental health, either on an ongoing basis or for the first time. Supporting patients and their safety is key, Tithof says.
“Sometimes that does involve a recommendation to go to the hospital for an inpatient mental health stay,” Tithof says. “But then we also have a lot of options for outpatient too. The day treatment program is one of those really great options.”
Explore Mental Health Care Options
Learn more about Mental Health Day Treatment and other care options through ThedaCare Behavioral Health. For no-appointment-needed mental health care, visit ThedaCare Behavioral Health Walk-in Care-Neenah, open Monday through Friday.
