The Greystone Psychiatric Hospital in NJ, Essay Example

Greystone psychiatric hospital is a new facility that replaced the old administration building. It is a 450-bed residential health care institution, located in a single self-contained building that includes treatment mall with over 21 rooms for various activities. In addition, there are also cottages to house a total of sixty patients to help those ready to transition to more independent living. It provides a transitional housing for patients.. Community rooms, such as computer training room, art studio, classroom for adult education are provided for patients.  The wellness area consists of a basketball court, a Gazebo and a pool, providing a variety of recreation facilities.

During my interview and observation, I found that the hospital fully utilizes Treatment Teams, consisting of clinicians from different fields. Through collaboration between medical staff, the hospital is looking to improve the overall outcomes of treatment for patients. The mission of this agency, according to Jennifer, is dedicated to care and support of each person’s journey toward individual safety, well-being and settling in the society. The goal of treatments provided by this hospital is to help individuals with severe mental illness stabilize their psychiatric symptoms, reduce the risk of harm. The hospital is providing persons with mental illness less restrictive settings, in which recovery will continue.

Greystone is designed for individuals with severe or persistent mental illness. Patients admitted to the health facility must be eighteen or older, and have a history or signs of endangering themselves or others. Recommendation from a physician is needed before individuals can receive health care service at the hospital.

While conducting my tour, I saw that the stated goals the guiding principles of psychiatric rehabilitation are highly utilized and implemented in patient care. Greystone believes that people have strengths and can grow, change, and learn to deal with their condition. The hospital staff helps patients’ recovery:  helping them exercise their rights and accept responsibilities in order to become able to participate in making decisions about their own lives. As a recovery-oriented system, Greystone strives to be inclusive and collaborative, while maintaining a positive attitude.

Some of the guiding principles used in this institution were based on focusing on rehabilitation services and strength. The practitioners at this institution recognize and build individuals’ strength, rather than focusing on their weaknesses or deficits. A person in recovery can expect, and deserves flexible, timely, and responsive services that are accessible, available, reliable, accountable, and sensitive to cultural and moral values. Staff at Greystone believes that a person in recovery is the source of his/her own strength and resilience. Those who serve as support staff and facilitators at this institution identify, explore, and utilize demonstrated strengths in the individual. This helps patients generate greater autonomy and self-efficiency in life. For instance, as I walked through the hallways, I saw some of these individuals in art therapy or in the art studio and the music studios. These individuals are encouraged to take active part in creative activities that help their recovery and then increase their ability to cope with their mental illness.

Moreover, a person in recovery finds independence through exploration, experimentation, evaluation, contemplation and action. The atmosphere at Greystone is positive, and support patients’ steps toward independence.  They are encouraged and reinforced in a setting where both security and risk are valued as ingredients promoting growth. The patients at this institution are assigned a treatment level. Level 1 is not allowed to go out at all to explore since they can pose danger to themselves or others. The aim of this precaution is to provide a safe environment for all residents. Level 2 and 3 patients need escort to explore the grounds and community areas, and can participate in activities under supervision. This really helps with their recovery. Level 4 patients, however, need no escort at all, and they can even have a chance to work and earn money. Level 4 patients are able to live in the cottages to practice the skills of living independently, before they integrate into the society.

Another guiding principle of this institution is providing a variety of quality rehabilitation services. Greystone has a large open plan room where psychosocial rehabilitation activities take place.  This room is designed to provide vocational and occupational training. Psychosocial rehabilitation services at this institution are primarily delivered in a group setting. These services develop, support, and optimize the quality of life and functional abilities of patients. The defining goal of psychiatric rehabilitation is to create individual plans, as all patients’ recovery journey is different.

The whole experience during my tour was positive, and I learned a lot about the use of creative activities to help patients’ recovery. It was surprising to see that the health care facility offers hourly jobs for the patients, but this kind of employment is different from the evidence bases supportive employment intervention. In evidence based supportive employment programs, individuals choose and get to keep their jobs, rather than being assigned to the job on a temporary basis. The facility also offers psychological education for family members each month that is very good.

There are different kinds of job opportunities at Greystone. Some positions are advertised within the Treatment Team. This unit develops each patient’s individual comprehensive treatment plan in collaboration with the patient or the patient’s family/significant other. Some of the job opportunities are for registered nurses, patient care providers (Human Services Assistant), social workers, psychiatrists, and dieticians. However, I would prefer working as a social worker, because it would help me with creating a patient-family-provider engagement that would improve overall outcomes of treatments.

Overall, my experience at Greystone was positive and educational. Jennifer was great in providing us all the information during the tour around the facility. Astonishingly, new ideas we are learning about in the course did not seem to be implemented in the facility. As Jennifer mentioned, the staff members working in these types of hospitals have been working in the same role for many years. They have their own preferences and approaches to treatment. Innovation and change is hard in facilities like Greystone.  Staff members, who have been working in the health care facility for over thirty years, do not accustom well to changes. They are not used to change, and evidently are not quick to change either, which is understandable. Opening up to new ideas, increasing collaboration between new team members and those with long-term experience would certainly improve the quality of care long term, and patient outcomes as well.