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Innovative Strength‐Based Care in Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry
Author(s) -
Sams Deanna P.,
Garrison David,
Bartlett Joanne
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1744-6171
pISSN - 1073-6077
DOI - 10.1111/jcap.12147
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , multidisciplinary approach , child and adolescent psychiatry , mindfulness , medicine , mental health , narrative , unit (ring theory) , acute care , psychiatry , nursing , psychology , health care , clinical psychology , social science , linguistics , philosophy , mathematics education , sociology , economics , economic growth
PROBLEM Child and adolescent psychiatric units serve the highest risk, most vulnerable populations in the mental health delivery system. This article describes the integration of a strength‐based approach with a traditional, medical model of psychiatric care on an acute inpatient unit. A strength‐based framework allows for increased focus on exploring patients' goals, strengths, relationships, skills, and family communication within the hospital setting. METHODS The process of integration of strength‐based care is described, followed by discussion of the implementation and evaluation of interventions, including mindfulness, family movie, narrative, and animal‐assisted therapies. FINDINGS Innovative interventions led to improvement in patient symptoms, unit culture, and patient, family, and staff satisfaction. CONCLUSION A strong emphasis on strength‐based, multidisciplinary treatment has enhanced patient care, as the goals of acute inpatient admission are broadened to include more than diagnosis and medication management.