When you’re watching a child struggle with mental health, their care and recovery is your top concern. At Aurora Behavioral Health, we understand this. We know you want to remain in contact with your child and make sure they are making progress towards a healthy, happy life. Here is what you should know to support your child’s visit to Aurora Behavioral Health.
What to Expect upon Arrival at Our Hospital
We know that when you arrive, you may be feeling nervous or unsure about what to expect. That’s why our goal when you arrive is to help you and your child feel comfortable and welcomed.
Your visit actually begins even before you arrive at our hospital. When you call our Admissions Department, you’ll have the opportunity to explain your situation, your child’s needs, and anything else that would help understand how to best provide care for your child. Then you’ll be given instructions and other information you need to know prior to your child’s visit. Please visit our What to Bring page for more information on the items your child will need during their stay.
When it’s time for your child to arrive, you’ll go through an inpatient admissions process. This is where our staff welcomes your child and begins the recovery process on a compassionate, welcoming note.
This process may take up to 2 hours. We ask that you be prepared to wait patiently as your child takes a mental health assessment and goes through the admissions process.
For more information on our intake and admissions process, please visit our FAQs page.
What Will My Child Be Doing at Aurora Behavioral Health?
Every patient at Aurora Behavioral Health will have their own behavioral health treatment plan. This plan will be created by professional therapists based on your child’s individual needs, history, and co-occurring mental health conditions. This helps ensure your child’s treatment is appropriate and most likely to ensure long-term mental wellness.
During their stay, your child will work with our psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and social workers. This comprehensive treatment team create an individualized treatment plan that addresses their specific needs. Your Child will also be provided with healthy, nutritious meals.
The ultimate goal of our program is to empower our patients to understand their emotions, thoughts, and needs, helping them learn to deal with crises situations and triggers effectively. This also helps them reduce the symptoms of mental health conditions by identifying and practicing the use of healthy coping skills.
Every individual child has different needs, so our staff work with them to identify the best skills and tools they can develop for long-term success. This may include expressing emotions appropriately, communicating effectively, developing healthy boundaries, managing frustration and anger, and developing important social skills. This helps provide a holistic, rounded approach to care.
We offer multiple ways for patients to engage in the treatment process, including:
- Group and family therapy sessions
- Recreational and expressive therapies, such as art therapy, music therapy, equine and animal-assisted therapy, and movement therapy (yoga, tai chi, meditation)
- Stress management and coping skills groups
- Intensive assessment and evaluation
- Medication management
- Patient education to understand their mental health conditions
- Chaplain services and spirituality groups
- Aftercare and discharge planning
Our goal is that your child will be empowered with new, healthy skills. This will give them lifelong benefits lasting after they are discharged and return to everyday life. Please visit our Adolescents Programs page for more details about what our programs include.
Will I Have Communication with My Child?
Within our facility, each unit has designated phone times for patients to reach out. Calls are limited to 10 minutes. We understand you may wish to call and speak to your child during designated times. For safety and security, every patient will be given a confidential patient identification number when they are admitted. Any person calling a patient must have this PIN number.
Will I Be Able to Visit?
Starting June 15, 2022 Aurora will be resuming in person visitation to our hopsitals. Click here for more information on visitation times and rules.
What Does Aftercare Mean?
Inpatient programs are designed to help with immediate crisis stabilization, where patients learn foundational skills and tools to help manage daily challenges they may encounter. While these skills are essential, many find it helpful to step-down into an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), where patients can continue practicing these skills 3 days per week, for up to 6-8 weeks in a three hour group-therapy session with peers. Attending an IOP program can be a very beneficial option for your child as they adjust back into their routine at home, school, and community-based activities.
To learn more specific details about our Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program, please see our website(link)
What If I Have Additional Questions or Concerns?
Our staff is here to help you feel comfortable and confident about your child’s recovery. If you have any questions about what to expect when your child arrives, please don’t hesitate to call us. Help is only a phone call away. Aurora Behavioral Health is where healing starts and the road to recovery begins. To learn more or to schedule a free, confidential assessment, call our 24/7 Patient Services Helpline at 877.870.7012 or contact us online.