The mental health day treatment program at Skyland Trail is offered as a step-down from residential treatment. New patients may admit directly to day treatment if they are coming from another residential or day treatment program, or if they have been participating in less intensive outpatient therapy unsuccessfully. 

Day Treatment is not appropriate for someone leaving a locked inpatient facility or hospital, or for individuals experiencing psychosis or frequent thoughts of suicide. During the admissions process, our clinical team will recommend an appropriate level of entry for a new client.

Day Treatment clients come to the Charles B. West Campus from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each weekday for psychiatric services and therapy sessions. While multiple groups are offered each hour, counselors work with each mental health day treatment client to develop an individualized schedule based on the client's diagnoses, as well as identified opportunities for growth and skill building.

See example Day Treatment schedule

A structured daily schedule consisting of one-on-one counseling, evidence-based group therapy and a variety of hands-on expressive activities helps adults experiencing depression, bipolar illness, or anxiety return to a healthy daily routine that incorporates self-care, social interaction, and purposeful activities. 

On average, clients participate in the Day Treatment program for about 2 months. (Our minimum length of stay is 8 weeks.) Most clients step down to our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which offers a slightly shorter day, five days a week, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The average length of stay in IOP is an additional 1 to 2 months. The total average length of treatment for clients admitting to Day Treatment is 2 to 6 months.

The Skyland Trail mental health day treatment program essentially is a full-time program; Day Treatment clients will need to suspend their commitments to a job or school for approximately 8 weeks.

Each client has a one-on-one session with a psychiatrist and an individual session with his or her primary counselor at least once each week when participating in the mental health day treatment program. Our psychiatrists work with clients to develop an effective medication regime that helps them feel better mentally and physically. 

Primary counselors combine compassion with proven psychotherapy techniques to help clients talk about their thoughts and feelings. Our counselors help clients examine long-held, unhealthy beliefs and construct new skills for coping with daily stress. With the client's permission, primary counselors also keep families informed of client progress.

Clients attend a core group session daily with a consistent group of 10-15 peer clients.  Clients also participate in classroom-style educational sessions to learn more about their illness and how they can apply coping strategies and skills that are proven to be effective.

Complementary adjunctive therapy sessions – art, music, horticulture, and recreation – encourage client engagement in therapy and give clients opportunities to practice the skills they are learning in their individual and core group sessions. Weekly schedules also include groups focused on workforce and school readiness, nutrition counseling, sober living, mindfulness, healthy relationships, exercise and sports, and positive use of free time.

Our integrated, holistic model is what makes Skyland Trail unique, successful and nationally recognized. All the components of our psychiatric, therapeutic and residential programs work together to help our clients reclaim their lives. 

By helping them define who they are and who they want to be in addition to helping them develop practical skills for managing their mental illness, we give our clients the best chance at stopping the cycle of repeat hospitalizations, resetting to a new normal, and reclaiming their lives.