Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program
Our intensive day treatment program helps adults with an array of mental health challenges.
At the Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program (BHP), we help individuals to develop skills that improve their mood and ability to function in hopes of allowing them to better cope with life circumstances.
To achieve this mission, the BHP utilizes cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) approaches (including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills) for a wide range of conditions such as mood and anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, and bipolar disorder.
BHP is useful as a step-down transition from acute inpatient care or as an alternative to inpatient treatment.
The program runs Monday through Friday from 8:30am-3pm and average length of treatment is 7 to 10 business days.
Treatment Approach
Our behavioral therapy approach provides comprehensive, skills-based treatment aimed at stabilizing patients, improving functioning, and preparing for return to outpatient treatment.
BHP’s main treatment components include group and individual therapy, case management and aftercare planning, and medication consultation and treatment.
On a typical day, patients attend five different skills groups. A sample schedule often starts with progress monitoring followed by three morning groups and two afternoon groups.
BHP’s therapy model emphasizes patient education as well as core CBT and DBT skills. Examples of core skills include:
- Self-assessment
- Behavioral activation
- Cognitive restructuring
- Mindfulness
- Distress tolerance
- Emotion regulation
- Interpersonal effectiveness
Although less prominent, BHP treatment also draws from additional scientifically proven approaches under the umbrella of CBT, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), exposure and response prevention therapy, and motivational interviewing.
In addition to core CBT/DBT skills, groups and individual sessions from our specialty areas are added to supplement core skills as part of individual treatment plans. The program provides treatment targeting specific disorders including:
- Major depressive disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Borderline personality disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Thought disorders
Patients at the BHP provide feedback about their symptoms and progress by completing brief, daily computerized progress monitoring measures. This information is used for treatment and tracking progress.
Our treatment outcome evaluation shows that patients attending the BHP experience a significant reduction in condition-related symptoms while seeing an improvement in their ability to function and their overall quality of life.
Research
The Behavioral Health Partial Hospital (BHP) Clinical Research Program, founded in 2009, conducts research to improve the understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders. The BHP uses an integrative approach in which research informs clinical practice, and clinical practice informs research.
The program’s research focus includes predicting who will respond best to treatment, understanding why the treatment works, developing new and innovative interventions, and providing important insights regarding the structure of psychiatric diseases.
The BHP collects patient data via daily computerized self-report instruments and a one-time clinician-administered diagnostic interview. Together, this information is used to inform individualized case conceptualization and treatment planning.
Patients may also consent for their clinical data to be de-identified and analyzed for research purposes, and may participate in research studies involving computerized, fMRI, or EEG tasks. Patient participation in research is voluntary and does not affect access to care.
Admission
The Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program is best-suited to adults with diagnoses such as mood and anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, and bipolar disorder who are seeking intensive day treatment.
For information about our program or to make a referral, please contact Rebecca Jeans, MSW, LICSW, director of admissions:
Phone: 617.855.3460
Referral Form
Patients should have their outpatient provider fill out and return the form below so that staff can assess whether partial hospital care and this program is a good fit for the patient.
Cost
McLean accepts Medicare, Massachusetts Medicaid and many private insurance and managed care plans. Insurance coverage may be limited for some services, especially for longer-term partial hospital treatment and residential services.
More information on insurance providers accepted by McLean Hospital may be found on the Mass General Brigham website. You may also find it beneficial to review McLean’s patient billing and financial assistance information.
Treatment Team
Program Leadership
Thröstur Björgvinsson, PhD, ABPP, Program Director
During his career, Dr. Björgvinsson has developed a national and international reputation as a clinical innovator, particularly in the implementation of cognitive behavior therapy for the treatment of severe anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders. At McLean, he also oversees the APA approved, pre-doctoral internship in clinical psychology. Prior to joining McLean, he developed and directed the OCD treatment program at the Menninger Clinic.
Eliza Menninger, MD, Medical Director
Dr. Menninger treats patients with various diagnoses, including major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective. An expert in psychotic disorders and mood disorders, she also sees patients in the Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Outpatient Clinic. In addition, Dr. Menninger speaks at hospitals and at other institutions on her experiences with patients with bipolar and psychotic disorders.
Staff and Associates
A multidisciplinary staff of psychiatrists, individual program therapists, clinical team mangers, nurses, and mental health counselors are trained and experienced in a wide array of treatments, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, contingency management, and medication evaluation and management.
Staff members have experience working with patients from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program located?
The program is located on the Belmont campus, in the Recreation Building. For more information on directions, parking, and local accommodations, please visit our Maps & Directions page.
Who benefits most from the BHP?
BHP focuses on use of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) approaches (including dialectical behavior therapy skills) to treat adults with a wide range of conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, bipolar disorder, and psychotic disorders.
Is family involved in treatment?
With permission, family involvement, via contact with clinical social workers and family meetings, is encouraged when clinically appropriate.
Is smoking permitted?
Smoking is allowed in designated outdoor areas only. No smoking is allowed inside any of our buildings.
Are cell phones allowed?
Cell phones are permitted, but may not be used during group or individual therapy sessions.
Is aftercare planning a part of the program?
The treatment team works closely with the individual as well as with family, significant friends, and outside providers to develop a personalized aftercare plan. Recommendations by staff are made based upon clinical needs, progress made during treatment, and long-term treatment goals.
Can former patients access their medical records?
All requests for medical records should be directed to McLean’s Health Information Management Department.
Are support groups offered?
To complement our programs’ services and encourage individuals’ initiatives in their own treatment course, many self-help groups are hosted by McLean.
Does McLean gather patient feedback?
McLean is dedicated to maintaining high-quality and effective patient care. To ensure that those standards remain at the highest level, we utilize a number of feedback instruments and quality indicators.
Among these tools are the Perceptions of Care survey which monitors patient satisfaction and BASIS-24™, a psychiatric outcomes measurement tool created at McLean and widely used in the U.S. and around the world, which delivers feedback on the patient care experience.
We Are Here to Help
Call us today to learn more about treatment options at the Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program.
