Mission Hospital's Commitment to Mental Health

January 1, 2019

As one way of carrying out our mission of continually improving the health and quality of life of people in the communities we serve, Mission Hospital has always been dedicated to leading initiatives in support of Mental Health & Wellness.

As a nationally recognized recovery center, Mission Hospital offers Mental Health & Wellness services customized to meet the individual health  needs of patients requiring acute inpatient care as well as outpatient treatment programs. Our services treat chemical dependence, psychiatric services and eating disorders, and are based on a “therapeutic community” philosophy where patients can actively engage in treatment under the guidance of physicians, therapists and nurses in a nurturing environment. Here are two of our newest Mental Health & Wellness services for our community.

Unique for Adolescents

Designed to fill a void in the community, Mission Hospital’s Adolescent Chemical Dependency program is the first hospital-based intensive outpatient dual diagnosis program for adolescents in Orange County. Offered at Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, the program provides intensive treatment services for adolescents, ages 14 to 17, presenting with problems involving substance abuse and related co-occurring psychological challenges affecting their academic, social or family functioning. The program is an approximately eight-week comprehensive after-school intensive outpatient program led by licensed psychologists and marriage and family therapists. Adolescents attend three groups a day Monday through Thursday, from 4 to 7:30 p.m., where they learn ways to achieve and maintain sobriety, as well as manage co-occurring mood and behavioral disorders. The program also provides individual therapy for each adolescent, and sessions for the family. “We know we can’t send a teen to treatment, give them the tools, and expect them to go back to the same family environment and have everything run smoothly,” says Debbie Hutchinson, Psy.D., manager of outpatient behavioral health services at Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach. “That’s why we’re also providing help for parents, so they have the necessary skills to support their teens at home.”

New Treatment Offering Hope

When all other options have been exhausted for treating depression, ketamine infusion therapy may be the solution. Ketamine has been used for over 50 years as a reliable anesthetic to sedate adults and children. Now used as a low dose intravenous infusion, ketamine can lift depression in many patients within hours. Research shows that ketamine produces a rapid antidepressant effect, and can also put a quick end to suicidal thinking.

Considered a significant advancement in mental health, Ketamine has become a promising treatment option for many chronic conditions including:

  • Depression
  • Obsessive Compulsive
  • Disorder (OCD)
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Post-Traumatic Stress
  • Disorder (PTSD)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Complex Regional Pain
  • Syndrome (CRPS)
  • Neuropathic Pain

A team of dedicated doctors and nurses at Mission Hospital are collaborating with the Ketamine Wellness Clinic of Orange County to offer this treatment option at Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach. Open since October 2016, the clinic provides each patient with a safe, quiet and private space for treatment. As patients lie back in reclining chairs they can listen to relaxing music as board-certified anesthesiologists administer the infusion treatment. “This is a unique collaboration between a hospital system and a ketamine Debbie Hutchinson, Psy.D. Manager of Outpatient Behavioral Health Services Dan Hancock, MD Medical Director Ketamine Wellness Clinic of Orange County clinic during a time when mental health is one of the most challenging issues facing our communities today,” says Dan Hancock, MD, medical director of the Ketamine Wellness Clinic of Orange County. “We’re able to provide another avenue to treat the patient population that is traditionally resistant to other forms of treatment. Ketamine is a  safe, effective, fast-acting medication with very few side effects.”

For more information on Mental Health & Wellness services offered at Mission Hospital visit mission4health. com/MentalHealth.

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