The different types of facilities

[Syvelocin]

I don't know if this thread belongs here, but my question is about what are all the options of hospitalization, their differences, and good reasons/ why one would choose that one over the others. I'm debating whether to go back, but I also realize there are different options than the short-term mental health treatment facility I had gone to a bit ago.

[Permanence]

It depends on where you are from. Here in Australia there are a few options:

- Emergency psychiatric units - as a general rule, no one under 18 is admitted into this ward without some kind of special with them (a nurse, security guard etc. Often a young person will be kept in triage until a bed becomes available on an adolescent ward, or if he/she gets a special for the duration they will be in the acute ward. Usually these units are a small holding bay for people they don't think will need to go to the main ward, and people that are waiting for a bed in the main ward. Being in this unit can be scary, cos this is where people end up when they are at their sickest. I have seen a lot of violence in these wards cos there is a lot of confusion amongst patients as to why they're there especially if they have been involuntarily taken. It's a locked room so you basically have nowhere to go, and you're stuck there with possibly violent people.

- Acute psychiatric units - again, as a general rule, under 18's aren't allowed in this ward unless they have a special and if there's no beds in an adolescent ward. In rural areas, an adolescent may be kept in paediatrics until they are fit to be released. The acute ward is where people go once they've had their assessment in the emergency unit. Depending on the area, usually these wards are high capacity - the one I was in had 72 beds split over 3 wings. 2 of these wings were locked wards. The one I went to was not a locked ward but patients weren't allowed out unless they were voluntary or had a leave order written up for them. In this ward, there are single rooms or double rooms. There is a couple of TV's, a pool table, ping pong table, art room, piano, large courtyard etc.

- AOA - stands for acute observation area. This is a tiny little ward where dangerous people or people that have a history of absconding go to. The one I was in had 6 beds and was very strict. Your room is basically like a permanent seclusion room (quiet/isolation room, you know, kinda like a white padded cell). All I had was a foam block to sleep on. It was really scary cos there were some big dudes in there that liked to throw eachother around for fun and talk really loudly.

- Adolescent ward - this is pretty much just like the acute psychiatric ward but for adolescents. It is not always acute either, as they throw everyone in there together. I was in there for just over a month, where there were some girls there that had been in there for 3 years. This was a locked ward and you could only get out on weekend leave with your parents.

- Private institutions - I don't know a lot about these as I've never been to one. Usually, only people with insurance choose these hospitals. They have no capacity for emergent cases, and generally patients are non-violent and voluntary. It's basically a get away for rich people that are feeling a little blue.

- Forensic psychiatric units - these are units for people that are in hospital for committing huge crimes like murder, manslaughter, rape etc and are considered mentally ill. These are usually separate hospitals to the others and can be wards in a prison itself. I was in the acute psych ward with a couple of guys who had committed smaller crimes (not sure what they were).


Hope this helps. This is just from my experience in the Australian system as a patient.