Higher Ground Program for Adult Psychiatric Services

On March 31, 2010, the Lighthouse Care Center of Conway opened the Higher Ground Program for Adult Psychiatric Services. The age range to be admitted onto this unit is the same as that for the Adult Acute unit — 18 to 59 years of age. The Higher Ground Unit was developed to provide individuals with a treatment milieu that fits their specific mental health needs.

Individuals admitted to the Higher Ground Program are typically those who sign themselves into the hospital voluntarily as opposed to being committed against their will. Regardless of initial legal commitment status however, the primary differentiating factor between the Higher Ground unit and the Adult Acute unit is how the individual presents behaviorally. Patients on the Higher Ground unit are better able to recognize their need for inpatient psychiatric treatment and are not engaging in behavior that would be considered disruptive or aggressive. An individual who is so severely depressed that he/she cannot perform their own activities of daily living, such as bathing and grooming themselves, would be appropriate for this program. Likewise, when people are deeply depressed, they will not be able to perform their spousal, parental or employee responsibilities and just getting out of bed will likely be a large task. There may or may not be thoughts of suicide, but just the severity of the depression renders the person largely incapable of doing anything constructive in the course of their day.

Other types of diagnoses that are appropriate for this unit include severe anxiety, panic attacks or social phobias that prevent an individual from being able to function in an otherwise normal capacity. Women who have recently given birth and are suffering from postpartum depression and clients with eating disorders are also typical candidates for the Higher Ground unit.

• Individuals admitted to the Higher Ground unit must be voluntary. Involuntarily committed patients will be considered for transfer to the Higher Ground unit once their behavior and mental status have been assessed.
• To meet the criteria for the program the individual must have an acute exacerbation of a psychiatric condition. For an assessment and consideration for admission, call us at (843) 347-8871.
• Patients must be medically stable.