Question by Amber: Mental Health Centers?
Hi, can someone please explain to me what a mental health center is, and maybe the difference between a mental health center and a mental institution or hospital or something? Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by michele
The term “mental health center” is typically used for outpatient offices. “Mental institution” is a phrase that is rarely used anymore, but it used to apply to psychiatric hospitals (inpatient facilities).

~M~

Answer by Greywolf
A Mental Health Center is the general term to describe the group of business offices of therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and case managers who attend to mental health issues including depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, PTSD, alzheimers, and other temporary or long-term issues and illnesses. The Center conducts business like a doctor’s office with regular appointments while the clients live in the community.

A mental institution – referred to as an acute care hospital or residential treatment facility have therapists, doctors, nurses, case managers, and others who tend to needs that occur when a person needs more than what the mental health center was designed for. The acute care facility is for those who are having what’s called a crisis and the facility assists the client in stabalizing themselves. The RTF is for people who need more long term care – perhaps to achieve a level of competence with their illness so that they can cope effectively with typical real-world events without crisis. An RTF can also be for those who need supervision or assistance for mental health concerns daily or more frequently. With these definitions (given as they are for the state of Arkansas), an acute care facility is usually used for 3-14 days. An RTF is used for between 3 weeks – 18 months unless it is designed to be a permanent care facility for clients.

Hope this gives you a general idea. If you have other more specific questions you can check your local yellow pages for mental health services to find a community mental health center.

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