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Inpatient mental health care

Inpatient mental health care refers to behavioral health services that are provided when you are admitted to the hospital. With inpatient treatment, you have access to both mental health services and complete hospital care, if you need it.

Inpatient mental health facilities in Virginia

With compassionate inpatient mental healthcare, our doctors and specialists will help you learn to manage your illness so you feel like yourself again.

At HCA Virginia Health System, our caring teams help you in a safe, calming environment that promotes good mental, physical and emotional health. We offer group therapy, medication management, skills development, expressive therapies and a supportive discharge plan. You will leave our program with the skills and resources you need to fully participate in your life.

Related specialties

Learn more about our related specialties.

Mental health conditions we treat

Our behavioral health specialists can help people with a wide range of conditions, including:

  • Addiction
  • Aggression and increased agitation
  • Anger management
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Assaultive behaviors
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Depression
  • Diminished interest in activities
  • Dual diagnosis
  • Eating disorders
  • Grief and loss
  • Insomnia or other sleep disorders
  • Memory impairment
  • Mood disorders
  • Mood swings
  • Prenatal depression and anxiety
  • Postpartum depression and anxiety
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Schizophrenia
  • Self-injurious thoughts or behaviors
  • Severe disorientation
  • Sexual abuse and assault
  • Trauma disorder
  • Social anxiety, avoidance or withdrawal
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Threatening thoughts
  • Trauma disorders
  • Unusual or bizarre behavior

Our inpatient mental health treatment

Our hospitals provide comprehensive inpatient mental health services with programs tailored to your specific conditions and life experiences.

Overview of our inpatient mental health services

All of our inpatient programs provide 24/7 treatment with around-the-clock monitoring and psychiatric nursing care. Our behavioral health physicians create an individualized plan of care for you based on your specific, complex health needs. We prioritize increasing your physical and emotional safety while reducing symptoms. We also focus on educating and empowering you to care for your whole self.

Your physician-led care plan may include:

  • Psychiatric triage, evaluation and differential diagnosis
  • Active psychiatric treatment with 24-hour access to a psychiatrist
  • Medication administration and monitoring for patients, if needed
  • Discharge planning to address post-hospitalization needs
  • Collaborative care with other providers during and after your stay
  • Clear communication with family and other support systems, such as community resources

Our interdisciplinary, team approach uses a range of therapies to provide intensive, short-term treatment. Our inpatient programs are for both voluntary and involuntary patients 18 years old and older.

Specialty inpatient programs

While all of our inpatient programs offer 24/7 monitoring and physician-led medication management, we have programs designed for people dealing with a specific mental illness or those with similar life experiences. We also offer treatment by age by offering inpatient care for children, adolescents, adults and seniors.

Adult inpatient programs

Our adult inpatient care programs focus on how your body, mind and emotions are connected. Our evidence-based therapeutic practices lead to positive outcomes. To ensure your recovery, our adult inpatient mental healthcare provides treatments such as:

  • Behavioral and logic skills training
  • Group therapy
  • Expression therapy such as art and music therapy
  • Individual counseling
  • Mindfulness training

Some programs also offer electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for those who may benefit. Our adult inpatient behavioral healthcare is designed for people aged 18 years old and older.

Senior inpatient mental healthcare

Seniors have specific needs when it comes to mental health. Our inpatient programs are tailored to meet address the complex challenges that seniors can face today. Designed for patients 55 years old and older, our inpatient care gives you 24/7 access to mental healthcare in a calming environment. Our programs help you with issues specific to seniors, including

  • Depression
  • Grief and loss
  • Inability or refusal to follow medical advice
  • Memory loss or dementia
  • Neglect of personal or domestic hygiene
  • Social withdrawal or isolation
  • Unmanageable anger

In addition to doctors and nurses, you have access to recreational therapists, social workers and dieticians to help you manage all of your health needs.

Child and adolescent mental healthcare

With programs for children aged 5 to 12 years old and teens aged 13 to 17 years old, we focus on initial stabilization and preliminary diagnosis. We can also help children of all ages deal with school anxiety or trauma, as well as teens dealing with substance abuse issues.

In addition to daily progress evaluations, patients receive developmentally appropriate therapies and treatments, including:

  • Pet therapy
  • Sleep assessments
  • Therapeutic exercise
  • Yoga therapy

While every patient is different, the average length of a hospital stay for children and teens is five to seven days. Patients leave with a comprehensive discharge plan where they often transfer to our less intensive outpatient programs while they connect with community resources.

Addiction treatment

Our substance abuse inpatient treatment includes detoxification, medical care, alternative therapies, education groups and discharge planning. Through patient-centered goal setting, medication management and group therapy, we help you recover as fully as possible. In our programs, you learn important information about drugs, alcohol and behavioral health to develop adaptive coping skills that support long-term recovery. Structured group therapy sessions are focused on education, awareness and recovery principles. In addition, participating in groups can help provide structure, positive peer feedback and support.

Dual diagnosis treatment

Our programs also offer help if you have a mental health condition that co-occurs with substance abuse issues. This program specializes in diagnosing, treating and managing your mental illness, as well as learning better coping strategies to overcome your addiction.

Eating disorders

Our inpatient programs for people with eating disorders provide comprehensive treatment that addresses your nutrition and physical health alongside psychological and emotional well-being. You receive treatment from a multidisciplinary team comprised of:

  • Licensed therapists
  • Medical physicians
  • Psychiatrists
  • Registered dietitians/nutritionists
  • Specially trained nurses

Your team works together with you to address the complex impact of eating disorders on your health. We offer specialized treatments including exposure therapy, nutrition counseling, eating disorder education and family therapy.

Trauma disorder treatment

Our trauma disorder program provides a calm environment if you are having a behavioral health crisis due to trauma. Our program offers treatment of PTSD, complex trauma and dissociation. We can also help with sleep disorders stemming from physical, emotional or sexual trauma. Our first goal is to help you stabilize. Then we work with you to process your trauma through resilience group work and alternative therapies, such as dance and art therapy. We also educate you on the neurobiological symptoms of trauma.

Military inpatient care

People in our military often suffer from mental illness. Through this specialized program for military personnel, you can receive care alongside your peers with similar experiences at one of our TRICARE-approved hospitals. Our military unit provides prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD, internal medical care, dual-diagnosis treatment and family support services.

Outpatient services

We will also put an aftercare plan in place for you to avoid rehospitalization. This plan may include participation in our partial hospitalization (PHP) and outpatient mental health services to ease the transition back into the community.

Depression risk assessment

Are you struggling with everyday tasks and self-care? Do you have trouble enjoying activities you used to love? Are negative thoughts keeping you awake at night? These are all classic signs of depression, and you are not alone. To get more information on what services are available to help you overcome depression, take our depression assessment.

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We also offer quality care at these other locations in our extended network.
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