Residential Treatment for Schizophrenia or Psychosis
As one of the nation's top treatment centers for schizophrenia, Skyland Trail provides expert, evidence-based psychiatric treatment for thought disorders like schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in our residential treatment and day treatment programs for adults.
Skyland Trail also specializes in treating adults experiencing psychosis as part of a mood disorder, including adults with depression with psychosis or adults with bipolar disorder with psychosis.
Residential treatment, with 24/7 care and support, is our most intensive level of care for schizophrenia or psychosis treatment. Residential treatment often is the best next step for adults leaving a hospital or acute care facility.
Structured Schedules
Each week, Skyland Trail clients with schizophrenia or psychosis participate in a structured schedule that includes:
One-on-one sessions with a psychiatrist
A dedicated psychiatrist helps determine an effective medication strategy to reduce psychotic symptoms
One-on-one sessions with a therapist
Weekly sessions with a dedicated therapist who specializes in the treatment of thought disorders
Education & Skills Groups
Understand your symptoms & challenges and how to use your strengths to manage your disorder
Art, Nature, Music, & Recreation
Enjoy a change of pace, discover new hobbies and self-care strategies, and practice social skills
Healthy Eating & Active Living
Learn about meal planning from a dietician and find a personal fitness routine that works for you
Activities of Daily Living
Experts provide support & accountability to help clients improve personal hygiene and healthy living spaces
Cognitive Training
Computer-based learning to improve executive and cognitive function
Vocational Services
Group coaching to work toward going to school, getting a job, or volunteering in the community
Family Therapy
Available as an add-on, family therapy helps redefine family roles & improve communication
Effective Medication Therapy for Thought Disorders
Our first priority for clients experiencing psychosis is to identify an appropriate medication strategy to reduce symptoms, especially hallucinations and/or delusions. Untreated psychosis negatively affects the brain and can lead to cognitive decline and loss of IQ. Medication is critical in preventing these losses in cognition.
Many clients are first prescribed medications in a hospital setting. They may not have been able to to ask questions about the medication or have conversations with prescribers about how medications work or how they can manage possible side effects. Skyland Trail clients have weekly one-on-one sessions with their psychiatrist to learn more about how medications can support their health and their goals, which can be a first step toward long-term medication adherence.
Many clients are prescribed long-acting injectable medications. Because they reduce the need for daily dosing, these medications may also support the adoption of medication adherence. Our onsite wellness clinic is able to assist with injection administration and lab testing.
But medication is only the first step. We then work to help clients to develop skills they need to manage their disorder and feel safe and healthy in the world.
Treatment Approach for Thought Disorders
Not a "one-size-fits-all" program, Skyland Trail matches each client with a specialized team of experts and a structured daily schedule of therapeutic activities to address the client's specific challenges and goals.
Our psychiatrists and therapists help clients recognize symptoms, effectively communicate their experiences and feelings to providers and family, adopt medication adherance, develop coping and reality testing skills, and achieve and maintain sobriety.
Our goal is to help clients envision a "life worth living" and formulate goals and strategies to get there. We help clients overcome negative beliefs and see themselves and their future as more than a diagnosis. We empower clients to take ownership of the choices and actions they can take to prevent relapse and achieve their goals.
Client Story: Ben
Schizophrenia and Alcohol or Substance Use
Substance use increases the risk of psychosis and often is a part of the development of psychosis symptoms. Some clients may admit with "substance-induced psychosis." Many people begin using substances as a way to address needs related to a mental health disorder like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Dual diagnosis allows indiviuduals to address both challenges concurrently rather than sequentially and offers the best path to long-term recovery.
Clients receive specialized psychiatric care focused on their psychosis, but also participate in one-on-one and group therapy focused on preventing relapse and maintaining sobriety. Sobriety is a key component to reducing and preventing psychosis symptoms. Dual diagnosis programming, while helping clients explore how substance us is related to their thought disorder, reinforces the skills and learning taking place in groups focused on psychosis and cognition.
Age-Appropriate Treatment
Most young adults with first episode psychosis (FEP) due to schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or a mood disorder will begin in our psychiatric residential treatment program. They will live at the Rollins Campus or South Campus where they will have a private bedroom and bathroom and receive 24/7 nursing care.
Many clients come to Skyland Trail after a stay in a hospital or inpatient treatment facility for schizophrenia or a psychotic episode. The Skyland Trail campuses - full of windows, light, and views of trees and sky - offer a welcoming environment as our clients transition back to more independent living in the community.
One-on-one work with the primary counselor as well as with the residential treatment team will focus on improving activities of daily living (ADLs). Clients receive support to chart goals for hygiene routines like showering, brushing teeth, doing laundry, and keeping their living space clean and tidy.
Group sessions include traditional talk therapy and peer support groups. Group therapy sessions for clients with psychosis also include behavioral activation like team-building and team sports in the gym, group cooking lessons, nature and gardening groups, and mindfulness activities. Some groups are specialized for clients with psychosis, helping them build community and trust among peers. Other groups are a mix of clients with different disorders across different treatment tracks.
Young adult clients may also benefit from family therapy at Skyland Trail. A young person with schizophrenia may have been in the role of "dependent" with other family members serving as caregivers. Family therapy may help families adjust those roles to help the young person transition to more independent living.
Adults with schizophrenia or experiencing psychosis who admit to our residential treatment program for schizophrenia live at Rollins Campus or South Campus. In addition to 24/7 nursing support, they receive a private bedroom and bathroom.
Due to biological and environmental changes over time, "tried and true" medications and wellness strategies may no longer be as effective. Our experts help clients re-evaluate medications and other strategies to find what works in their current stage of life.
Individual therapy for adults with recurring psychosis often focuses on helping clients recognize and verbalize symptoms so that they are able to effectively describe what they are experiencing to their support system and providers. Clients also participate in guided discovery to process events that have occurred related to their disorder and how those events impact the here and now.
Individual sessions also may focus on improving activities of daily living like showering, doing laundry and wearing clean clothes, and maintaining a clean and healthy living space. These activities often are challenging for people experiencing psychosis and support is needed to re-establish personal care routines.
Group therapy sessions for adults with recurring psychosis include peer support and talk therapy. Hearing the experiences of people with similar challenges often helps reduce stigma and inspire personal responsibility. Group sessions also include team sports, cooking lessons, nature therapy, and mindfulness activities.
What is Cognitive Training for Thought Disorders?
All Skyland Trail clients with psychosis participate in cognitive training. Cognitive training is a computer-based cognitive rehabilitation training program for adults with memory, processing speed, or executive planning deficits related to untreated mental illnesses.
Over time, untreated mental illnesses can lead to long-term cognitive impairment – a loss of thinking and processing skills including memory, attention, problem-solving ability, and intelligence. Thought disorders also can impact a person’s social cognition – or “people skills” – including the ability to read nonverbal social cues like facial expressions or body language, or to see a situation from another person’s point of view.
Until recently, experts thought this type of cognitive decline was irreversible in certain situations. Today, research shows that in concert with therapy and medications, brain training through cognitive enhancement therapy may be effective not only in stopping cognitive decline, but even in reversing it in some situations.
Results are especially promising when cognitive training is started early in the course of a person’s mental illness, making it particularly important for first episode psychosis and young adults who are newly diagnosed.
Cognitive training groups meet weekly in our computer lab and are supervised by a counselor. Counselors can customize settings for each client to maximize their engagement and benefit. As clients progress, the software adapts to their new skill level so that they are always at the right level to continue making improvements. Some clients may receive additional assignments as “homework” to complete on their own time.