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What to Expect upon Arrival at SABHH

We know that when you arrive, you may be feeling nervous or unsure about what to expect. That’s why our goal when you arrive is to help you and your child feel comfortable and welcomed.

Your visit begins even before you arrive at our hospital. When you call our Assessment and Mental Health Referral Department, you’ll have the opportunity to explain your situation, your child’s needs, and anything else that would help understand how to best provide care for your child. Then you’ll be given instructions and other information you need to know prior to your child’s visit.

When it’s time for your child to arrive, you’ll go through an inpatient admissions process. This is where our staff welcomes your child and begins the recovery process on a compassionate, welcoming note.

This process may take up to 2+ hours. We ask that you be prepared to wait patiently as your child takes a mental health assessment and goes through the admissions process.

For more information on our intake and admissions process, click here.

What Will My Child Be Doing at SABHH?

Every patient will have their own behavioral health treatment plan. This plan will be created by professional therapists based on your child’s individual needs, history, and co-occurring mental health conditions. This helps ensure your child’s treatment is appropriate and most likely to succeed.

During their stay, they will work with our psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and therapists to create an individualized treatment plan that addresses their specific needs. They will also be provided with nutritious meals.

The ultimate goal of our program is to empower our patients to understand their emotions, thoughts, and needs, helping them learn to deal with crisis effectively. This also helps them reduce the symptoms of mental health conditions by identifying and practicing the use of healthy coping skills.

Every individual child has different needs, so our staff will work with them to identify the best skills and tools they can develop for long-term success. This may include expressing emotions appropriately, communicating effectively, developing healthy boundaries, managing frustration, anger, and developing important social skills. Doing so will provide a holistic, rounded approach to care.

We offer multiple ways for patients to engage in the treatment process, including:

  • Group, individual, and family therapy sessions
  • Recreational and expressive therapies, such as art therapy
  • Stress management and coping skills groups
  • Intensive assessment and evaluation
  • Medication management
  • Patient education to understand their mental health conditions
  • Aftercare and discharge planning

Our goal is that your child will be empowered with new, healthy skills. This will give them lifelong benefits lasting after they are discharged and return to normal life.

Will I Have Communication with My Child?

Within our facility, each unit has designated phone times for patients to reach out. For safety and security, every patient will be given a confidential patient identification number when they are admitted. Any person calling a patient must have this ID number.

Hospital Visitor Program COVID-19 Modifications

San Antonio Behavioral Healthcare Hospital (SABHH) supports a safe and organized visitor program for our patients to encourage positive family involvement and communication during a patient’s treatment program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the visitation policy is as follows:

  • Adolescent (17 years old and younger) patient evening visitation is
    held on Sundays and Wednesdays only from 7:00pm to 8:00pm, which includes two
    (2) visitors allowed with the patient per visit.
  • Adolescent (17 years old and younger) patient lunch visitation allowed on
    Mondays thru Fridays, which may include up to two (2) parents or legal guardians per visit. Lunch times are:

    • Roadrunner: 10:15am to 10:45am
    • Bluebonnet 1: 10:15am to 10:45am
    • Bluebonnet 2: 10:45am to 11:15am
    • Mustang: 11:15am to 11:45am

What If I Have Additional Questions or Concerns?

Our staff is here to help you feel comfortable and confident about your child’s recovery. If you have any questions about what to expect when your child arrives, please don’t hesitate to call us. Help is only a phone call away. San Antonio Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is where healing starts and the road to recovery begins. To learn more specific details about our Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program, please call +1 (210) 541-5300.