By Kristin Miles, PsyD
Kristin Miles, PsyD, is an attending psychologist at Rogers Memorial Hospital-West Allis’s Child and Adolescent Day Treatment program. Learn more at rogershospital.org.
Media in its multiple and ever-changing forms – TV, Internet, Facebook, Twitter, computer and video games – plays a prominent role in our lives. With this unprecedented 24/7 access, many children and teens have difficulty managing their media use. So what is the danger in multi-tasking multiple streams of entertainment and information?

Depression and other mood disorders in young adults is the FOCUS of a new residential program at Rogers. With intensive psychiatric evaluations and medication management, the program builds on the strong foundation set by Rogers other residential treatment programs and strong evidence-based care.

Losing interest in activities, withdrawal from family and friends, and sadness can be part of the daily struggle when fighting severe depression or other mood disorders. Behavioral activation – a major component of treatment in a new residential program at Rogers — addresses these struggles.

Building on Rogers’s foundation of evidence-based care through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), on February 10, Rogers opens FOCUS, a residential program for young adults with depression and other mood disorders. For these patients experiencing a difficult transition to adulthood, behavioral activation is one key building block toward recovery.

Making the decision to send a child or teen to a residential treatment facility is often difficult for families. Programs like the Child Center’s Parent University keep a family involved in treatment, helping families ensure a successful transition back home and reinforcing treatment and recovery needs.

Mental Health affects everyone; mental health issues affect about 80% of people in one way or another. Chances are you know someone who is or has dealt with mental illness and recovery, or know of someone who is going through the process of dealing with some sort of anxiety, depression, addiction or eating disorder.

This year Mental Health America has made their theme Pathways to Wellness, which sheds light on key points that we at Rogers Memorial Hospital would like to pass along.

Introduction

Psychiatric Care ProfessionalsBehavioral health issues are part of the fabric of our human existence, but few people understand them and even less people understand how they can be treated. People who suddenly find themselves in the middle of a crisis having to do with mental health issues don’t know where to turn. They end up visiting a primary care physician or a psych ward at a local hospital. Sometimes this is all that is needed, other times, the patient and/or family need more specialized or depth of care than a primary care provider can give.

Rogers Memorial Hospital is proud to continue its tradition of commemorating Mental Health Month. For over 50 years, the nationwide observance of this month has reached millions of Americans with important messages about mental health.

In August 2011, the experiential therapy staff welcomed patients to the new facility and its many offerings. In April 2012, the doors opened to our new inpatient building, delivering an unparalleled treatment option for patients and their families.

Well before the ground broke in February 2011, the plans for the new inpatient facility at Rogers were being developed to deliver patient-centered care in a new and carefully designed environment. Accessibility, privacy and patient safety were woven into every feature and furnishing chosen for the new facility. Feedback from countless patients, families and staff were considered as the new facility began to materialize, first on paper, then in brick and mortar.

The mother of a former patient who came to the Child Center recently shared that she had experienced a vivid dream about herself and her daughter seeking a safe path home in the middle of a terrible storm. She believes the dream symbolized the struggle their family went through to find help for her daughter. Today, the mother says, her daughter is stronger, their path is safer and she is confident that brighter days lie ahead.

Patients at Rogers Memorial Hospital are already enjoying a brand-new experiential therapy center. The center was opened in the fall of 2011, and features a gymnasium, weight room, art studios and recreation and movement rooms designed to help Rogers’ experiential therapists work with patients in a comfortable and safe environment. In the weight room and gymnasium, for example, Dwight Steffes, MSRT, a long time experiential therapist at Rogers, helps patients learn how to exercise in a body-positive and healthy way.