Clients who admit to Skyland Trail in Atlanta, one of the best primary psychiatric residential treatment centers for adults 18 and older, become part of our healing community. They are assigned to an evidence-based specialized treatment team and peer group and a structured daily schedule tailored to their symptoms and goals. By engaging fully in treatment and working in partnership with their multidisciplinary treatment team, our clients recover, reset, and reclaim their lives.
Programs for Adults
Our mental health programs are organized by levels of care. Residential psychiatric treatment is our most intensive level of care. Day treatment, intensive outpatient, and outpatient programs gradually provide less intensive staff support and require clients to use skills more independently.
Clients complete a psychiatric assessment as part of the admissions process. The admissions team uses results from the assessment to match each client with the level of care that bests meets the client's needs.
Residential Treatment
Residential treatment usually is the best level of care for individuals leaving a hospital or locked psychiatric acute care facility.
Located in Atlanta, our residential campuses are unlocked, voluntary facilities. Clients receive 24/7 staff support and private client rooms with private bathrooms.
Day Treatment
Day treatment, sometimes called Partial Hospitalization or PHP, is offered as a step-down from residential treatment. At this time, direct admissions to day treatment are very limited, and clients must currently reside in Metro Atlanta.
Outpatient
A variety of outpatient programs provide support after graduating from a treatment program or as a supplement to outpatient therapy in the community.
Outpatient programs include TMS, primary care, comprehensive assessment, vocational services, a social club, and an alumni program.
Diagnoses for Adults
DEPRESSION
Adult clients in our residential treatment for depression and day treatment for depression programs benefit from a powerful mix of evidence-based treatment strategies, including medication, psychotherapy, exercise, and sleep regulation. When medication therapy for depression does not improve symptoms, our treatment team may recommend transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is offered at Skyland Trail. Most adult clients with depression participate in our cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) recovery community. Specialized treatment is available for adults with depression and anxiety, depression and psychosis, depression and substance use, depression and PTSD, or depression and borderline personality disorder.
ANXIETY DISORDERS
Our residential treatment program for anxiety and our day treatment program for anxiety in Atlanta help clients adopt new strategies to cope with stress. Through personalized psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) groups, clients gradually learn to reframe their thoughts and adjust behaviors to prevent the disabling responses to stress that were causing them pain and disability. As part of a structured daily structure, clients with anxiety primarily participate in groups focused on CBT skills and exposure with response prevention (ERP) therapy but also benefit from DBT groups focused on mindfulness and distress tolerance.
BIPOLAR DISORDER
Medications are essential and effective in controlling bipolar illness, including bipolar I, bipolar II, rapid cycling, or cyclothymia. As our clients' active symptoms are resolved through medication and psychotherapy, they can focus on developing the skills they need to manage mood episodes and prevent crises. In addition to applying specialized evidence-based therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), we provide support to help clients address their symptoms through proven strategies like routinely getting eight hours of sleep each night, engaging in cardiovascular exercise, improving nutrition, and participating in positive leisure and social activities.
BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD) likely will be assigned to our 90-day dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program. Our DBT clients have symptoms that include impulsivity, self-injurious behaviors or frequent suicide attempts. Client who admit to our residential DBT program have not developed healthy coping skills for handling stress or emotional discomfort. Medications are generally ineffective for treating borderline personality disorder. DBT has been proven an effective therapeutic approach for helping individuals who struggle with BPD or emotional disregulation manage their symptoms, feel validated and accepted, improve relationships, and live a life worth living.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Our first priority is to identify a medication strategy to control hallucinations and delusions. But medication is only the first step. We then help clients develop skills they need to manage their illness and feel safe and healthy in the world. As part of our residential treatment program for schizophrenia, clients receive support to manage their own hygiene and nutrition. A significant focus of individual and group therapy sessions is social integration, relationship building and emotional coping skills. Clients experiencing their first episode of psychosis likely will be part of our cognition and first episode specialized recovery community, while older adults seeking to manage ongoing symptoms will likely join our social integration recovery community. All clients with psychosis participate in computer-based cognitive remediation training, and additional dual diagnosis programs are available for clients with schizophrenia and substance use.
SUBSTANCE USE
The dual diagnosis program at Skyland Trail is designed to treat clients with a primary mood, thought, or anxiety disorder who have a co-occurring substance misuse issue. Research shows that treating both problems at the same time leads to the best results. Skyland Trail is not appropriate for individuals with a primary substance use disorder and is not a detoxification facility. Dual Diagnosis clients meet in an additional daily group focused on understanding the addictive process, managing cravings, utilizing community supports and preventing relapse. Individual work with a primary counselor and a psychiatrist addresses both psychiatric and substance use challenges. Our experts give our clients the best chance for recovery through effective medications, therapy and connections to 12-step recovery programs. Recovery is not just about "giving things up." It is also about constructing a life that supports health and happiness in a sustainable way.
Age-Appropriate Facilities
Respectful mental health residential treatment facilities offer opportunities for socialization and support. Adult patients admit to the Rollins Campus or the Skyland Trail South Residential Campus. All our adult psychiatric residential treatment facilities offer private bedrooms and bathrooms and are:
- voluntary, unlocked facilities
- accredited by The Joint Commission
- licensed by the State of Georgia
- staffed 24/7 with nurses and residential counselors
- surrounded by gardens
How Our Program Works
Our continuum of care is one of the things that makes us unique. People who enter psychiatric treatment programs often find that transitions are abrupt and they have to change from a very supported environment to an unsupported environment too quickly. Our continuum of care helps people step from one level of care to another level of care gradually.
Clients who admit to residential mental health treatment typically participate in the residential level of care for 4 to 8 weeks before stepping down to our day treatment program (also called partial hospitalization program). Clients participate in the day treatment program for about 4 to 6 weeks and then typically step down to the intensive outpatient program (IOP) and complete another 3 to 6 weeks in IOP. Transitional housing may be available when clients transition from residential treatment to day treatment. Clients who admit to the residential treatment program typically spend a total of 3 to 4 months in treatment.
Clients who admit directly to the mental health day treatment program typically participate in the day treatment level of care for approximately 3 to 6 weeks before stepping down to our intensive outpatient program. Clients participate in the IOP program for another 3 to 6 weeks before graduating from our program. Clients who admit to the day treatment program typically spend a total of 2 to 4 months in treatment.
Clients who actively engage in treatment, get involved in the Skyland Trail community, and complete each level of care in the continuum experience the best outcomes.
Holistic Approach to Treatment
We treat each individual, individually, tailoring an approach that includes a broad mix of evidence-based one-on-one and group therapies that help our clients make real and sustainable progress.
Our holistic treatment model integrates strategies to help clients improve mental health, physical wellness, and relationships with family and friends.
- In addition to helping our clients through effective medications and evidence-based psychotherapy, we offer art, music, horticultural and recreation therapies; interfaith spiritual counseling; and family therapy.
- In classroom-like settings, we educate clients about their mental illness and teach strategies they can use to cope with stress and prevent relapse.
- Our vocational services program helps clients prepare to return to school, enter the workforce, or make career changes to support their mental health.
- We are one of only a few programs in the country to integrate medical care and mental health treatment, and our Glenn Family Wellness Clinic earned certification as a Behavioral Health Home from The Joint Commission.
Program Fees
Adult Residential Program Fees
The residential treatment program at Skyland Trail is in-network with many plans offered by Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and Magellan and is non-contracted for all other insurance carriers. Families may be able to use out-of-network benefits to cover a portion of treatment costs. Please speak with our financial counselors to determine an estimate of your financial responsibility. The base program cost of a 30-day stay in residential care is $33,000.
Adult Day Treatment Program Fees
Our nonresidential treatment programs include day treatment (also known as partial hospitalization or PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP). The private pay program cost of a 20-day stay in day treatment is $11,000. The private pay program cost of a 20-day stay in intensive outpatient is $8,000.
Medicare and Medicaid do not cover our services at any level of care. A need-based financial aid program may cover a portion of treatment costs.