Peace Health St. Joseph Medical Center

The Behavioral Health Inpatient Center is a 20-bed inpatient unit located on the main campus of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center. Our team helps people in need of psychiatric care in a healing and supportive environment.

We are the only inpatient unit for behavioral health clients in Whatcom County that offers acute stabilization (care to return a patient to a point where they are no longer at risk of harm to themselves or others, or able to be maintained in a lesser intense environment), treatment and referral services. This includes voluntary admissions, involuntary commitments and less-restrictive alternatives. This model of treatment allows us to deliver on our promise of providing comprehensive care. We are licensed by the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington State Division of Mental Health.

SERVICES:
Psychiatric assessment, evaluation and treatment
Occupational and recreational therapy assessment
Individual and group therapy
Social work assessment
Discharge planning

INPATIENT ADMISSION CRITERIA:
– This unit treats adults on a voluntary or involuntary basis, who present an acute psychiatric illness requiring inpatient hospital treatment.
– Admissions must be referred by a physician, a mental health provider, or by the county triage system.
– Level of self-harm risk: Must be safe to be on a voluntary unit, not requiring 1:1 observation and able to contract for safety.
Risk to others: Must be safe and appropriate for group milieu.
– Mental status: Patients who are cognitively impaired by delusional/paranoid thought processes, dementia, psychosis, neurological dysfunction or otherwise have barriers to active participation in group milieu may not be appropriate for this program.
– Medical status: Cannot have an unstable medical condition, nor one which would prevent active participation in the treatment program.
– Patient interest/motivation: Must be able to state willingness to participate fully in treatment program and adhere to unit policies.