What are Levels of care?
Levels of Mental Health Care.
When most people think of mental health care, they may be quick to think of traditional talk therapy. Terms like counseling, talk therapy, play therapy, etc. are terms that refer to routine outpatient therapy, which is best fit for someone with a lower acuity. Acuity refers to the severity of symptoms and help needed that professionals use to determine the appropriate level of care for an individual. To better assist you in determining the appropriate level of care for yourself or your loved one, we will describe some common levels of care and examples. These descriptions are to help in alleviating confusion and are not meant to serve as medical advice.
Levels of care range from outpatient care to inpatient care, with inpatient care being the highest acuity care for individuals who are needing intensive services 24-hours a day and include rapid stabilization for mental health crises and residential care. At the lowest acuity level, outpatient services can start with 1:1 or family therapy, support groups or medication management provided by a medical provider. Other outpatient services include group therapy and intensive outpatient therapy (IOP). Some programs may also include partial hospitalization or “day-hab” where an individual attends intensive services throughout the day but does not sleep at the location they are receiving services. More intensive outpatient services like IOP and PHP may be appropriate for individuals whose symptoms are not well managed with routine therapy and medication management alone, but who are also able to maintain their safety in their home environment.
The highest levels of care include respite, inpatient hospitalization, and residential treatment which can vary widely based on the program and needs of the individuals being served. This level of care may be recommended if lower levels of care are not meeting the needs of an individual, or the current severity of symptoms cannot be safely managed in a home environment. Providers are encouraged to provide the least restrictive environment for treatment of mental health concerns and for this reason, individuals and their families should consult a licensed professional or medical professional for additional support on determining risk factors and needs for a higher level of care.
For those in a mental health crisis or supporting someone in a mental health crisis, you have options. A mental health crisis is a medical emergency and should be taken seriously. Local emergency services like 911 or area hospitals can assist individuals in a mental health crisis. Many counties have a local mental health authority (LMHA) that provides crisis services to their community and have 24-hour hotlines for seeking services. There are other hotlines and textlines available like the suicide prevention hotline/textline (988), SAFE (512-267-7233), The Trevor Project hotline (866-488-7386) and textline (text “start” to 678-678) to name a few. Additional community resources can be found by contacting 211 or by visiting FindHelp.org.
