Close Up: COVID-19 Through the Lens of Inpatient Psychiatry

Angel Piper, LCSW

Amanda Welsh, LCS

Proudly sponsored by

“These are times only dreamed of.  In nightmares.  We are living through an historic season of political, cultural and psychological stress.  The physical and economic tolls are vast.  But so are the psychological and emotional costs.  Driven to our homes, most families live in tight quarters, with no relief from the oppressive “closeness” that governmental restrictions force.  No school, little work, zero freedom, and diminished cash flow for almost everyone.  When we do go out, we “socially distance” ourselves.  Eye contact is furtive and brief.  We hurry away from human contact.  We hold our breath unconsciously.  Some return to our homes alone.   There is another “curve” on our near horizon, one of equal proportion: that of mental instability and emotional dis regulation brought on by this lack of human contact.  We need each other.  We are gregarious social animals.  Our psychological self-regulation depends on warm touch and the reassurance of our families and tribes.  And the freedom to pursue our dreams.  Without these we are adrift, and sometimes very, very troubled.        As therapists, we are essential “first responders”.  Depression, panic, bi-polarity, eating disorders, addiction, self-harm and suicide will be exacerbated by this pandemic.  We already see this in our practices, especially as we consider referring our patients to higher, more restrictive levels of care.     This workshop will feature two expert licensed therapists from Coral Shores Behavioral Health, a premier psychiatric hospital in Stuart, FL.  Theirs is a unique view:  in-patient psychiatric care both acute and long term.  They face the pressure of these issues daily and we’ll learn some of their unique approaches in this difficult time.   

We are proud to once again partner with Florida Mental Health Counselor's Association with the support of Coral Shores Behavioral Health to bring you this seminar live and online.

      

Angel Piper, LCSW                  Amanda Welsh, LCSW

Angel Piper, LCSW has worked in the behavioral healthcare field for over 20 years; most of those years she has held leadership positions that included program development, clinical leadership/oversight, business development, and assessment and referral.  Angel has served as a Chief Executive Officer for the past 4 years at various behavioral health hospitals.  She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in business from Virginia Commonwealth University. She began working in the behavioral health field and later pursued her MSW and then her LCSW. Angel has an array of experience in working with adolescents, adults, active duty service members and veterans. She is passionate and dedicated to the behavioral health field and strives to improve the overall patient care systems and the patient experience. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Amanda Welsh, LCSW has over 9 years’ experience working in acute inpatient psychiatry and emergency settings.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Worcester State University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rhode Island College.  Early in her career, she discovered a passion for acute mental health. Amanda began practicing as a social worker on inpatient units and worked up to leadership positions having oversight of clinicians and operations while still providing direct patient care. She is skilled in risk assessment, crisis intervention, and bringing together treatment teams to produce positive patient outcomes.

Learning Objectives

1.  Identify 4 diagnoses that are directly impacted by COVID-19 pandemic and their treatment modalities:  Depression, Addiction Disorders, Bipolar, Schizophrenia.
2. Articulate a process to successfully refer from outpatient care to inpatient treatment.
3. Describe the different routes and reasons to enter inpatient care: Involuntary (Baker Act vs Marchman Act), Voluntary, Coping Mechanisms, Financial Burdens, Grief and Loss, Increased Stressors.
4. Identify 4 specific patient accommodations required to manage psychiatric patients during COVID-19 pandemic: Visitation, Tele-services, Screening and social distancing.
5.  Differentiate between the 6 required assessments that occur within the first 72 hrs:  Intake Assessment, Nursing Assessment, History and Physical, Psychiatric Assessment, Biopsychosocial Assessment, Activity Therapy Assessment.
6. Identify 4 optimal requirements for inpatient psychiatric care:  Daily visit with the psychiatrist, 4 group therapies (process group, psyched group, nursing group, activity therapy group),  Daily Assessments, Daily vitals and medication management
7. Deploy 5 self-care techniques in your personal practice during COVID-19:  Mindfulness, Exercise, Visualization, Meditation, Outdoor Time.

Register Here

For MHCAPB member discount, use this code  TN1YPMPA