Mental Health
Comprehensive Inpatient and Outpatient Behavioral Health Services
As our community’s demand for mental health care increases, so does
Boulder Community Health’s commitment to evolving and extending
crucial services. That's why we offer the broadest and deepest range
of behavioral health services in Boulder County. Our services are offered
on both an inpatient and outpatient basis in order to best meet each patient's
specific needs.
The Della Cava Family Medical Pavilion – the newest addition to our
Foothills Medical Campus — helps address the gap in our community's
mental health care. This state-of-the-art facility will transform local
mental health care through its innovative services and inspiring design.
This facility will house all of BCH's comprehensive mental health
services in an innovative, thoughtfully-designed healing environment.
To learn more about this amazing facility, please visit the
Della Cava Family Pavilion page.
The Della Cava Family Medical Pavilion is open as of April 2, 2019, and
is located at
4801 Riverbend Road, Boulder, CO 80301.
Mental Health Services
We recognize that it's important to offer a range of services to fully
reflect the mental health needs of our community. Our
outpatient treatment services are designed to address a wide range of mental health issues, including
anxiety, panic, depression and attention deficit disorder. We also offer
therapy and counseling for individuals, families and in a group setting.
Our inpatient treatment program offers intervention and support for adults
in acute emotional crisis.
At our Della Cava Family Medical Pavilion, the mental health services and
clinics include:
- Adult Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit
- BCH Counseling Center (Outpatient Behavioral Health)
- Guerra Fisher Institute & Boulder ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy
Please see the sections below for more details about each service and clinic.
Adult Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit
Adults experiencing a psychological or emotional crisis can find professional
intervention and support within Boulder’s only adult Inpatient Behavioral
Health program. Patients admitted to our program suffer from disorders
that include:
- Major depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety disorder and panic
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Borderline personality traits
- Obsessive-compulsive behavior
- Suicidal tendencies
- Schizophrenia
Our clinical team monitors patients around-the-clock until their symptoms
stabilize and they’ve developed the necessary coping skills for
safely transitioning to the next appropriate level of care.
Physicians at this unit include:
Upon admission, patients have a comprehensive assessment in which our therapists
will then develop individualized treatment and discharge plans. During
hospitalization, patients receive psychiatric care, therapy
and
education services. Patients and their families receive education concerning
the patient’s diagnosis, medications, treatment
and
discharge plans. We help patients prepare for their
return
to the community by providing referrals to resources for on-going support
and treatment.
During their stays, patients have access to a compassionate, highly qualified,
physician-led multi-disciplinary team of experts who work closely to facilitate
the fastest route to recovery and remission. We support each patient with
a psychiatrist, therapist, psychiatric nurse and case manager. Plus, patients
can work in groups with other specialized practitioners, such as an art
therapist, who help them progress towards wellness.
Our team divides their attention among a relatively small group of patients,
improving the impact of treatment and safety.
We believe that each patient is unique, which is why we develop a care
plan tailored to a patient’s specific needs. Individualized plans
focus on the development of coping skills and healthy routines.
Patients live in a caring and safe environment where they receive any combination
of the following:
- Daily evaluation and care by a psychiatrist
- Multidisciplinary psycho-education and therapy groups
- Supportive care to encourage healthy behavior changes such as good sleep habits
- Education on diagnosis, medications, nutrition and community resources
- Medication assessment and evaluation
- Family therapy and education
- Assistance with identifying and practicing useful coping skills
- Specialized programs such as art therapy, movement therapy and pet therapy
-
Opportunities to transition to outpatient programs that are part of
patient's
discharge plan
We also offer services unmatched, innovative therapies in Boulder County such as:
- Expressive Therapy: Uses patients’ desire to create—be it music,
poetry, dance or other artistic forms—as a therapeutic tool to help
initiate change.
- Trauma-formed care: Emphasizes physical, psychological and emotional safety
for survivors, helping to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.
For information about admission to the inpatient behavioral health treatment
program, please call 303-415-7778 or 303-440-2277.
Guerra Fisher Institute & Boulder ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy)
Our highly skilled psychiatrists treat adults suffering from complicated
mental illnesses such as treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder
and schizophrenia. We conduct exhaustive patient evaluations, which involve:
- Consulting with patients and their families
- Reviewing prior treatment efforts
- Arranging for consultations from other medical disciplines
From this thorough evaluation, we create a treatment plan that may include
psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, alternative therapies and, when indicated,
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). When indicated, we offer ECT to patients.
Collectively, our psychiatrists have nearly five decades of experience
and have performed more than 60,000 ECT treatments, making them the most
experienced ECT practitioners in the Mountain States region. We also provide
referrals for Ketamine Infusion Therapy and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.
Psychiatrists at this Institute include:
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is most commonly used to treat severe depression
and is often the safest, fastest and most effective therapy available
for that illness. ECT is also sometimes used to treat patients with manic
illness or schizophrenia. This treatment is available as an inpatient
or outpatient basis.
Studies indicate that 80 to 90 percent of depressed individuals who receive
ECT treatment respond favorably, making ECT the most effective treatment
for all forms of depression. ECT is believed to correct biochemical abnormalities
that underlie severe depressive illness. The techniques for administering
ECT have improved considerably over the past 25 years.
Before ECT begins, a patient’s medical condition is carefully assessed
with a complete medical history, physical examination and laboratory tests.
The number of treatment sessions needed to successfully treat severe depression
ranges from four to 20. The treatments are usually given three times per
week -- Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
ECT is performed under general anesthesia, meaning patients are in a sleep-like
state and unaware the procedure is taking place. During the procedure,
electrical currents are quickly passed through the brain to induce a brief
seizure. This causes changes in the brain’s chemistry, which has
beneficial mood effects.
Breaking the ECT Myths
Unfortunately, because of the way it has been portrayed in movies and TV
shows, some people have the wrong impression of ECT. As a result, the
therapy isn’t helping as many people as it could. Such misconceptions
are based on early ECT treatment, which began more than 80 years ago.
In the early days, when it was known as “electroshock therapy,”
treatment could be very painful and cause serious side effects. Today,
ECT is much safer. It’s now delivered in a controlled setting, with
patients surrounded by a team of specialized psychiatrists, anesthesiologists
and registered nurses.
Why Choose BCH for ECT?
At BCH, ECT services are provided by the Guerra Fisher Institute and offer:
-
The most-experienced practitioners in the Mountain States region: Collectively, our psychiatrists have nearly five decades of ECT experience
and have performed more than 60,000 treatments.
-
Seasoned ECT nurses: Our team of registered nurses have subspecialty training in ECT and an
average of over 10 years of experience.
-
A commitment to collaborating with referring clinicians: Our psychiatrists work closely and constantly communicate with patients’
referring clinicians, striving for seamless integration of care.
-
A leading health care system: Located on the Foothills Medical Campus, our program offers access to
the full resources of Foothills Hospital. And, it’s the only program
in Boulder County operated by a not-for-profit health system.
To schedule an appointment at the Guerra Fisher Institute, please call
303-440-2456.
For further Treatment Resources for Mental Health or Substance Abuse in
Boulder County,
click here.