Music therapy is one of the many options offered at the MemorialCare Center for Mental Health & Wellness.

The MemorialCare Health System, in conjunction with St. Mary’s Medical Center, California State University, Long Beach and the Long Beach Health Department, complete a community health needs assessment triannually. Surveyors conduct research and perform analysis to see where the city of Long Beach has room for improvement in the health care setting.

A recurring theme of these surveys: the citizens of Long Beach need more access to mental health care and services. While Community Hospital Long Beach has had mental health services they were limited and did not meet the needs of specific populations, such as the elderly, adolescent, chemical dependency and women who have just given birth.

As a not-for-profit community based hospital, Community Hospital Long Beach is constantly reinvesting in itself to bring better patient care programs and new technology to Long Beach. Over the past two years, MemorialCare along with the new leadership at Community Hospital Long Beach, have made tremendous progress to close the gap that was felt throughout the Long Beach community in the mental health arena, by developing mental health programs to ensure that nobody is left behind.

Psychiatric Care for Boomers & Elderly

When asked what age group has the highest suicide rate in the United States most people would say teenagers. That is incorrect.

Surprisingly according to the Center of Disease Control & Prevention, suicide rates for females are highest among those aged 45-54 and suicide rates for males are highest among those aged 75 and older. “It is the baby boomer group where we see the highest rates of suicide,” said the C.D.C.’s deputy director, Ileana Arias. “There may be something about that group, and how they think about life issues and their life choices that may make a difference.”

When it comes to mental health, suicide isn’t the most prevalent concern among the elderly, what is more common is agitation, depression, dementia and delirium. This is why geriatric mental health is important. A few years ago an elderly person would be in an emergency department suffering from a mental-health problem that went undiagnosed and untreated for too long. The caregivers at home, in assisted living or at the hospital were unable to help, and worried about the safety of other staff and residents.

Family members and some staff members at long-term care facilities aren’t trained to see the early signs of agitation, depression or delirium. At that point, with no other options, caregivers call the police and elderly residents are taken to the emergency room. Hospital staff stabilize the disoriented patient and try to find a place with better psychiatric care.

Now these patients have a place to go and local emergency rooms have a place to send them. When a loved one experiences changes in orientation, memory or changes in previous level of functioning due to depression, often families do not know where to turn. A caregiver or family member seeking assistance can call the Community Hospital Long Beach 24 Hour Center for Mental and Wellness Intake Line: 855-245-2443. The interdisciplinary team for the geriatric program is trained to meet the physical, social and mental health issues including the family in the plan of care. The environment has equipment, activities and therapies designed specifically for the needs of this population.

Elders account for only 7 percent of all inpatient psychiatric services, 6 percent of community mental health services, and 9 percent of private psychiatric care. Less than 3 percent of all Medicare reimbursement is for the psychiatric treatment of older patients. It is estimated that 18 to 25 percent of elders are in need of mental health care for depression, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, adjustment to aging, and schizophrenia. Yet, few seem to receive proper care and treatment for these mental illnesses. According to the Administration on Aging, by 2030, there will be about 72.1 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2000. So the need for geriatric mental health is only going to increase exponentially. That is why CHLB made this important health care transformation.

Expectant Mothers

We all have read the headlines where celebrities have acknowledged they suffer from Postpartum depression and anxiety. Thanks to these celebrities being open and honest about their experience with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) the community is becoming more aware and supportive of new moms and moms-tobe with this illness.

PMAD is a widely under recognized disorder that affects 10 to 20 percent of new mothers. This is not the “baby blues” which are not uncommon for the first two weeks after delivery. If left untreated, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are potentially dangerous, and have severe consequences — not only for the mother but also for the child and the entire family. Although research shows that maternal stress, anxiety and depression can adversely inf luence a child’s development, these conditions are often undiagnosed because of the lack of comprehensive resources available for women and their physicians. In one or two cases out of 1,000, the depression becomes so extreme it progresses to psychosis.

To finally address the overwhelming, continuous medical needs of expectant and new mothers who suffer devastating depression and/or anxiety, Community Hospital Long Beach has launched one of the nation’s first inpatient and outpatient Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) Programs at the MemorialCare Center for Mental Health & Wellness.

At Community Hospital Long Beach, the comprehensive inpatient PMAD program — designed for women who are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of perinatal mood anxiety disorders — provides a secure environment for both mom and baby. During inpatient treatment, mothers receive individual therapy, participate in group therapy sessions with other women going through similar experiences and receive educational and interactive classes with the baby to enhance bonding and coping while caring for their baby. A multidisciplinary team, including physicians, psychiatric nurses, social workers and rehabilitation therapists, continually ensures that the mom and children are safe. Recognizing that this illness affects the whole family there are couples therapy, support groups and extended visiting hours for siblings. “Community Hospital chose to offer both inpatient and outpatient programs because the continuity of care from inpatient to outpatient is the only way to fully address the needs of these women and their families,” says Hopey Witherby, MSN/ED, RN, BC, director, MemorialCare Center for Mental Health & Wellness, Community Hospital Long Beach. Once in the outpatient treatment program, each woman receives continued support three to five days a week by attending individual therapy sessions, group sessions and support groups and educational classes, based upon her unique needs.

Partial Hospitalization & Outpatient Psychiatric Care

Mental health disorders are often chronic conditions. While treatable, it is about managing the condition. As with any other illness, there are varying degrees of severity. For example, for patients whose illnesses are not severe enough to require inpatient hospitalization, but need more structure than outpatient therapy, the MemorialCare Center for Mental Health & Wellness launched the partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient program.

Hopey Witherby, MSN/ED, RN, BC, director and Cliff Feldman, M.D., V.D., MFS, medical director.

The program is structured to facilitate the patients’ return to their maximum level of independence using group therapy focused on coping behavior, cognitive behavior, life skills, medication education, stress management and interpersonal relationship skills.

Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic

The new outpatient psychiatric clinic will provide psychiatric evaluation and treatment to patients with mild to moderate psychiatric symptoms. Each patient’s needs will be continually assessed by a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, licensed clinical therapist and rehabilitation therapist.

Another service for the continuum of care is the Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic. Services in the clinic are individual, family, couples and adolescent therapy. Patients can see a psychiatrist for medication management and treatment.

In addition, Community Hospital Long Beach, in collaboration with Southern California TMS Center, offers Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy (rTMS) – a new non-invasive treatment for depression where antidepressants have not been effective. TMS delivers focused magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that control mood. This treatment can be an alternative to medication, or can work in conjunction with medication.

“By offering the community different levels of care, we’re able to transition patients to higher acuity or lower acuity within the MemorialCare Center for Mental Health & Wellness,” says Cliff Feldman, M.D., J.D. and M.F.S., medical director, MemorialCare Center for Mental Health & Wellness, Community Hospital Long Beach. “The patient can be transitioned from hospital-level care to outpatient care, and vice versa based on patient’s diagnosis and outcomes.”

If you or someone you know can benefit from these expanded programs please call 855-CHLB-4-HELP.