Fixed values and a flexible partial hospital program model

Since the 1990s, societal and economic factors have constrained mental health care service delivery in the United States. Partial hospital (PH) programs have been presented with the challenge of using limited resources to treat complex patients in very short time frames; yet predominant psychosocial models and evidence-based treatment approaches have not adjusted sufficiently to the combined demands of patient care and the new health care environment. An updated PH model can advance existing psychosocial theory and practice. The basic assumption of the model is that both clinical and organizational aspects of a PH program must be inherently adaptable to maintain consistent effectiveness. The set of fixed values described here are instrumental in establishing priorities, guiding decision making, and creating a proactive, flexible organization. These values are drawn from the history of psychosocial and milieu treatments from the 1930s to the present and from assumptions and practices of cognitive-behavioral therapy, and are augmented by insights from psychodynamic psychiatry, business management, and leadership. The PH treatment approach aims to translate evidence-based cognitive-behavioral treatments into pragmatic interventions with emphases on psychoeducation and skills training. The context is brief treatment (i.e., one to two weeks) for mood, anxiety, and personality disordered patients in a private sector, managed care environment. Elements of this model may be generalized to inpatient, residential, and intensive outpatient programs, as well as to those that are starting up or being reorganized.