Expanding Outpatient Services – Meeting Community Needs
Bringing the therapy outside at Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus
With growth comes change, and at Sanford Behavioral Health we have experienced quiet, steady growth since 2015 by listening to the needs of the community we serve. In fact, we are ready for change with flexible physical spaces and expanding outpatient and telehealth programs for eating disorder (ED), substance use disorder (SUD), and mental health treatment. And in 2022, when nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness, providing flexible, individualized programs that also address complex medical and psychiatric needs is key.
Expanding Outpatient Services for Eating Disorders
Sanford Comprehensive Treatment for Eating Disorders (Sanford CTED) offers a full continuum of care with growing outpatient programs. Outpatient eating disorder treatment allows for some everyday activities while integrating effective strategies learned in treatment. Outpatient services and programs include:
Our Expanding Sanford CTED Outpatient Team:
We are proud of the team we have assembled. The multidisciplinary team at Sanford CTED includes:
- Psychiatrist, Internist, Doctor of Clinical Nutrition
- Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistants, RNs
- Program Director, Supervising Clinician
- Psychotherapists with specialized training in treating eating disorders
- Registered Dietitians/Clinical Nutrition Specialists
- Certified Recreation Therapists
- Recovery Support Specialists
Supportive Housing:
Sanford CTED PHP and IOP patients now have the option of staying onsite in Sanford Supportive Housing. Also, outpatient housing expands our reach to patients out-of-state or in the far corners of Michigan.
Sanford Supportive Housing for PHP & IOP patients
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Individuals in a PHP program need an elevated level of structure and intensity of service delivery. This means 5 days of programming at least 6 hours per day. Nutrition education sessions are held to challenge distorted and inaccurate food beliefs. Likewise, cooking and supervised/therapeutic eating experiences act as exposure response prevention activities. Also, group and individual therapy sessions are designed to address the core issues underlying the eating disorder behavior and develop more adaptive coping skills. [Learn More]
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Intensive Outpatient Programs are for those who are functioning adequately in their lives but need more support and structure than outpatient therapy. Also, an individual in IOP may be transitioning from a higher level of care, such as a hospital, residential, or partial hospitalization programs. The IOP program allows individuals to continue their life activities, such as working, school or childcare and also attend treatment. [Learn more]
Outpatient Groups, Alumni and Family Support
The term “continuum of care” is defined as the delivery of care over a period of time. This means connecting individuals to the various parts of the continuum, based on the assessed needs, at any given point in the recovery process. For example, a person may start in residential treatment and step down to our expanding outpatient services. It also means interfacing with the community to educate about prevention, connecting individuals to the appropriate level of care when treatment is needed, and providing or connecting individuals/family with long-term recovery management.
“At Sanford Behavioral Health, we are expanding our outpatient services for eating disorders and substance use disorders, based on the needs we are seeing in the community. Because of our medical and clinical depth, we are well positioned to increase PHP and IOP tracks at our outpatient centers. And the natural addition of Sanford Supportive Housing facilitates helping individuals outside of the Grand Rapids area or those stepping down from residential treatment.” Sarah Bono, Sanford Executive Vice President, Business Development
One of the group rooms at Sanford Outpatient Center
Expanding Outpatient Services for Substance Use & Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
Sanford offers a complete continuum of care for SUD, including medical detox. However, we built Sanford Outpatient Center to break down the barriers of traditional addiction treatment. Here we offer flexible, innovative, individualized recovery programs that work with real life. When entering a Sanford addiction treatment program, each patient is assessed to determine the appropriate level of care. Our goal, based on our “recovery for real life” philosophy, is to determine a clinically appropriate placement for everyone in the least restrictive level of care. Services and programs include:
The Growing Addiction Treatment Team:
We have been treating addiction and co-occurring disorders since 2015. As we have grown, our clinical and medical depth has also expanded:
- Psychiatrist, Family Medicine Physician, Doctor of Clinical Nutrition
- Medication-Assisted Treatment
- Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- RNs, Case Managers
- Clinical Director
- Master’s level or higher licensed social workers, professional counselors, art therapists, and marriage and family therapists. Registered dietitians support the clinical team when needed.
- Recovery Support Specialists
Supportive Housing
We are excited to offer PHP and IOP patients the option to stay onsite in Sanford Supportive Housing. Fortunately, outpatient housing expands our reach to patients out-of-state or in the far corners of Michigan. It also gives safe harbor to those with toxic home environments, or to individuals stepping down from residential treatment who may want a more structured, short-term lodging.
Welcome! The Sanford SUD Outpatient Center
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Day Treatment or PHP, is one level of care higher than the Intensive Outpatient Program. The purpose of PHP, is to provide therapy, structure, and accountability during the day, while allowing patients to practice their learned skills in their home or Sanford Supportive Housing after daily programming concludes. Also, PHP teaches our patients therapeutic coping skills to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol and drug addiction. PHP includes 6 hours of group therapy per day, 6 days a week.[Learn More]
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Addiction Treatment IOP provides structure and accountability while encouraging patients to integrate their treatment into their personal, home and work life. Program duration is typically 18 3-hour sessions which covers approximately 6 weeks. [Learn More]
Outpatient Groups, Alumni and Family Support
The long-established Alumni and Family Program at Sanford Behavioral Health were created to include the loved ones of our patients during treatment and beyond. Family involvement is one of the most important components for a healthy long-term recovery. Because of this, we provide these programs at no charge to the families of our patients. [Learn More]
Continuing the Mission
We are excited to expand our programs at Sanford Outpatient Center for addiction and Sanford CTED for eating disorders. At Sanford, we create a consistent system of treatment that guides and tracks our patients through all levels of treatment intensity. Further, we recognize the importance of a long-term continuum of treatment programs, classes, and resources. Successful treatment of eating disorders, substance use disorders, and mental health conditions typically requires continual evaluation and adjustment, similar to the approach taken for other chronic diseases. We work directly with our patients to transition them into a safe, supported living environment after treatment. With our expanded outpatient programs and Sanford Supportive Housing, we can continue our mission to elevate the effectiveness and availability of treatment for our Michigan community and beyond.
