MaineHealth provides behavioral health partial hospitalization services for people who are too ill to attend traditional outpatient therapy, but do not require hospitalization. Often, partial hospitalization services help patients transition back into the community after a psychiatric hospitalization. Partial hospitalization services may be recommended for:
- Adults with a chronic and severe mental health condition
- Adults with co-occurring mental health condition and substance use disorder
- Children and adolescents with developmental disorders
A bridge to family, work and community
The partial hospitalization program (PHP) bridges the gap between hospital and community programs. It provides an alternative to hospitalization for people who require more intensive treatment than outpatient office visits, but less than 24-hour inpatient care.
We help patients reach their wellness goals through individual treatment planning provided by a team of psychiatrists, social workers and nurses. Our team coordinates clinical care with patients, families and community resources - helping patients reach their highest level of emotional stability and independence before fully transitioning back into the community.
Services
Patients are taught how to manage emotions, distressing situations, distorted thought patterns and belief systems that contribute to their behavioral health condition. The goal is to reduce symptoms to prevent inpatient hospitalization. Services include:
- Group therapy
- Skill building
- Introduction to dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Core mindfulness
- Interpersonal effectiveness
- Emotional regulation
- Distress/stress tolerance
For more information, please call 207-662-2221.
Partial Hospitalization for children and young adults
MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor offers a short-term partial-hospitalization program that provides telehealth treatment for children and young adults who are experiencing emotional, social or behavioral challenges that impair their ability to function successfully.
We provide an intensive weekday treatment program where patients and their families learn and practice new ways to manage emotions and behavior. Treatment usually lasts 3-6 weeks. Our program offers:
- Rapid, virtual access to treatment for children, adolescents and young adults who are having significant challenges but do not need full hospitalization
- A bridge to help patients who are not attending school become reintegrated into a structured, daily routine at home
- Support for patients who are transitioning back to the community after hospitalization
Conditions commonly treated
- Emotion dysregulation (tantrums, outbursts and meltdowns)
- Non-compliance
- School refusal
- Mild to moderate aggression and self-injury
- Pica (eating non food items)
- Running away or tendency to wander off
Admission Criteria
- A diagnosed autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability
- Able to speak in sentences
- Inability to function well in the community setting
- Motivated to interact with others virtually
- Reliable internet access and a computer or mobile device with video and sound capabilities
