BART's Place Services

Inpatient Services: The BART's Place inpatient session is available to all minor (ages 16 and under) relatives of our patients. A licensed psychologist facilitates the inpatient session in collaboration with the hospitalized individual. The information provided to the children and adolescents in this session is tailored to their current developmental level and family circumstances. The intervention focuses on education, support, and possible referral information.

Inpatient Education Group: "Communicating with families about mental illness": The inpatient group session is open to all patients currently hospitalized and is facilitated by a psychologist. Group members discuss common questions asked by their children and family members, ways to provide feedback, and community resources available to them after hospitalization.

Individual Consultation: BART's Place psyshologists are also available to patients for individual sessions around issues related to their children/minor relatives. The sessions may address a variety of topics including, but not limited to parenting skills,role/identity as a parent, managing mental illness in a family context, talking about mental illness at various age levels.

What to expect when visiting

Children and family members are taken to the visiting area where they will have time to spend with their family members. Prior to the visit the patient and the psychologist have discussed what information they would like to share with their children and family members. There are discussions about what the children understand about their parent's illness, how they can best prepare for the person that will be coming home,and answer any questions they they might have. The rest of the visit is devoted to the patient and their children/family members.