Mental health hospitals and community mental health centers focus on providing mental healthcare. They can provide crisis, evaluation, referral, and treatment services.
Although this section specifically describes mental health hospitals, certain larger medical hospitals have substantial mental health centers or departments. The information provided in this section on mental health hospitals can apply to those hospitals as well.
Mental health hospitals and community mental health centers have a variety of different types of mental health specialists on staff to provide mental health services.
In a crisis situation, staff at mental health hospitals and community mental health centers will first provide emergency medical care. Once the child is physically safe and stable, mental health specialists will use tools to evaluate your child for a variety of mental health issues. Learn more about the different types of mental health evaluations.
Mental health hospitals and community mental health centers can provide a variety of different levels of services to children with mental health issues. Both mental health hospitals and community mental health centers offer emergency and crisis services.
Community mental health centers and mental health hospitals also offer outpatient services. Community mental health centers tend to focus more on office-based outpatient services with some centers offering more intensive outpatient programs. Some mental health hospitals offer office-based outpatient services and some offer more intensive outpatient programs. In addition, mental health hospitals offer inpatient services, and some offer residential services as well. Through these different levels of services, mental health hospitals and community mental health centers offer a range of mental health treatments. Learn more about mental health teatments.
Mental health hospitals and community mental health centers can also offer support programs, such as day care and support groups, and specific programs for particular mental illnesses.
Mental health hospitals and community mental health centers are an important part of the mental healthcare system. They are primary providers of mental health evaluations, diagnoses, treatment, and referrals, especially in crisis situations. They may also work with your child’s pediatrician, the school system, or community organizations, as necessary, to coordinate your child’s care.
Mental health hospitals have a variety of mental health specialists on staff. However, they sometimes do not have enough space to provide immediate inpatient services. Community mental health centers have mental health specialists on staff, but they may not have the expertise in children’s mental health and psychologists and psychiatrists may be in short supply. Community mental health centers may also be overcrowded, with long waiting lists for services.
To address these limitations, call your insurance company and ask for a care manager. A care manager will help you find the help you need in a timely manner. Learn more about health insurance care managers.
There are two mental health hospitals in Rhode Island:
There are also several large medical hospitals that provide specialized mental health services to children:
