Looking for a behavioral health partial hospitalization program DC Metro area

[Anonymous]

Looking for a behavioral health partial hospitalization program for bipolar depression. It appears that there are no nonprofit options in northern Virginia that are taking patients.

[Anonymous]

Pasadena Villa
INOVA
If you go into DC/MD: Georgetown, Suburban and Adventist

[Anonymous]

I was going to send my son to the Doninion Partial Hospitalization program in Falls Church. I decided against it as I didn’t think it would be helpful for my child, but they do take insurance (or at least they did for the inpatient program).

[Anonymous]

OP, no suggestions, but sending you strength and good luck. I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

[Anonymous]

So sorry you are going through this. I found it very overwhelming and frustrating to get the help we needed for our DC (full/partial hospitalizations and follow up Intensive Outpatient Programs/IOPs). Unlike regular hospitals, it was a black box to me - hard to get good information even when we were working with excellent psychiatrists and psychologists. There are just not enough resources available.

This may not help you, but I’m posting in case it is helpful for some other parents.

Johns Hopkins, Children’s and Sheppard Pratt are considered the top three (in that order) in our area for full hospitalizations related to mental health issues. JH has its downtown location and Bayview. SP also has two locations. JH is the best and hardest to get into. Best chance to get in is if you’re coming from their ER but still can be a long, long shot. Children’s has very few beds and even though our child’s doctor (for several years) worked there, we still could not get our DC in there. We got our DC into SP.

I showed up at SP on a Tuesday morning with DC before they opened. I was told by our doc that Tuesdays/Wednesdays are best days to get a spot. We got lucky and got a spot. Full hospitalization just helps stabilize only, so do not expect a lot. The doctors will discuss medications and make changes to meds in coordination with you.

I really liked the PHP at JH Bayview but decided that it was going to be too much driving 5 days a week for several weeks. Our provider recommended The Helix Center in McLean and we were overall very happy with the care our DC received there. It is a 12 week program after school, three days a week plus parent therapy one day a week.

Good luck, it is a heart wrenching time.

[Anonymous]

PO. I would NOT recommend Dominion. Even our DC’s doctors said they would not send a child there.

BTW, if you take your child to the ER and they recommend a hospitalization, they will do a search and let you know if a program is available (for full hospitalization). However, the choices we were provided were terrible and/or far away, so we declined. You only get up to three chances to decline.

[Anonymous]

Just weighing in so that anyone searching can find this. (I found little info available when I was researching PHP (mental health partial hospitalization programs). I’ve been in the PHP program at Pasadena Villa in McLean for about four weeks. I came in with suicidal ideation and high depression and anxiety. I now feel the best I have in years - maybe ever.

[Anonymous]

When my young adult son who has bipolar needed PHP, we had a tough time finding one. He went to Sheppard Pratt and I thought it was a good program.

[Anonymous]

Compass Health in Silver Spring also has a PHP.

[Anonymous]

I think these programs should be more widely used. I feel like I wasted years in therapy, going once or twice a week and waiting months to see results. Going 9 to 3 every day for five weeks, doing group therapy, learning psychology theory and practice has been hugely beneficial to me.

[Anonymous]

Adventist has a good program, but PHP is only as good as the other people in the cohort. Group dynamics can really impact outcomes.

[Anonymous]

I thought the Dominion PHP was a positive experience overall as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my young adult son who has bipolar needed PHP, we had a tough time finding one. He went to Sheppard Pratt and I thought it was a good program.

Isn't Sheppard Pratt closing?

[Anonymous]

PP here. I thought the SP location in Gaithersburg was closing but maybe I'm wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just weighing in so that anyone searching can find this. (I found little info available when I was researching PHP (mental health partial hospitalization programs). I’ve been in the PHP program at Pasadena Villa in McLean for about four weeks. I came in with suicidal ideation and high depression and anxiety. I now feel the best I have in years - maybe ever.

This is PP reviving the thread. Unfortunately I’ve had a relapse in depression and am looking into PHP programs. Does anyone know anything about the Suburban Hospital program? I am considering Pasadena Villa PHP again but Suburban is much closer. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.