Premier Choice provides essential services to residents in residential communities. We provide free placement for our Psychologists and/or Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW’s), Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC’s), and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT’s). Our therapists actively participate in patient care as members of the treatment team. Furthermore, Premier Choice physicians focus on behavior change and provide family support, resulting in pleasant transitions for both patients and staff. Staff education, clinical support services, and specialist mental health programs all benefit facilities. Furthermore, we also offer family therapy and group therapy services to individuals.
Premier Choice’s core therapy strategy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a brief, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that employs a hands-on, practical approach to problem resolution. Its purpose is to modify the patterns of thought or behavior that are causing people’s problems and thereby change how they feel. It is used to address a variety of concerns in a person’s life. CBT works by modifying people’s attitudes and behavior by concentrating on their ideas, images, beliefs, and attitudes (a person’s cognitive processes) and how these processes connect to how people behave to cope with emotional difficulties.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has the benefit of being very brief, lasting five to ten months for the majority of emotional disorders. Clients attend one session each week, each lasting around 30 to 50 minutes. During this phase, the client and therapist collaborate to identify the problems and establish new ways to address them.
FOR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES AND REHABILITATION FACILITIES (INCLUDING LONG-TERM CARE)
Premier Choice provides and implements featured programs for communities/facilities in respective regions. These programs are “value-add” programs in that they strengthen connections, boosting the number of recommendations. These programs are competitive differentiators since other people or businesses do not often provide them. Three programs are mentioned here: the Smooth Residential Transition and Adjustment Program, group therapy, and community/facility-based education.
BACKGROUND
An adjustment (transition) disorder occurs when an individual is unable to adjust to or cope with a stressor, like a major life event. Since people with this disorder normally have symptoms that depressed people do, such as general loss of interest, feelings of hopelessness, and crying, this disorder is also sometimes known as situational depression. Unlike major depression, however, the disorder is caused by an outside stressor and generally resolves once the individual can adapt to the situation. Adjustment disorder may also be acute or chronic, depending on whether it lasts more or less than six months. If the adjustment disorder lasts less than 6 months, then it may be considered acute. If it lasts more than 6 months, it may be considered chronic. Diagnosis of adjustment disorder is quite common; there is an estimated incidence of 5–21% among psychiatric consultation services for adults. Adult women are diagnosed twice as often as are adult men.
Often, the recommended treatment for adjustment disorder is psychotherapy. The goal of psychotherapy is symptom relief and behavior change. Treatment allows the patient to put their distress or rage into words rather than into destructive actions. Individual therapy can help a person gain the support they need, identify these abnormal responses, and maximize the use of the individual’s strengths. Counseling, psychotherapy, crisis intervention, family therapy, behavioral therapy, and self-help group treatment are often used to encourage the verbalization of fears, anxiety, rage, helplessness, and hopelessness. As prescribed by the patient’s physician, sometimes small doses of antidepressants and anxiolytics are also used in addition to other forms of treatment. In addition to professional help, family and caregivers can help their relatives with their difficulty adjusting by
For these transitional situations and adjustment disorders, Premier Choice offers an awareness program, baseline and ongoing assessments, and individual and group therapy for residents.
Premier Choice Medical Group creates awareness of its services through a variety of methods, including (but not limited to)
Premier Choice has State of Florida Licensed Clinical Psychologists or Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) trained in mental health therapy and counseling who perform baseline initial assessments. These standardized assessments identify individuals who may have an adjustment disorder at the time of assessment or are deemed to be “at risk” of developing one. The LCSWs will develop individual treatment plans. Premier Choice providers will work collaboratively with the resident’s physicians and community staff.
At the time of initial assessment, individuals will enter therapy (if appropriate). After obtaining consent to treatment (either from the resident directly, from their guardian or POA), therapy will either be performed on an individual basis or in a group setting or both. Treatment will be ongoing as deemed appropriate by the therapist.
Mental Health condition-specific group therapy is offered to targeted communities and facilities. Group therapy is an efficient and effective approach to therapy. It is efficient in that one-hour group sessions for 6-10 individuals allow the Provider and, ultimately, the Licensee to secure more revenue as compared to individual sessions. In addition to beneficial therapy, group therapy is effective in that it promotes socialization, and residents benefit from other residents who share their experiences with “like” situations generally. This approach to care enhances relationships in these communities. Often, individuals who are new to these communities have difficult adjustment periods. Many new residents will have a feeling of abandonment, feel a loss of independence, and suffer loneliness and depression, all of which may lead to a decline in mental health, negatively affecting their quality of life.
As with individual therapy, potential group therapy patients are identified by the referring sources, generally Wellness Directors from target communities. With the Wellness Directors’ input, Premier Choice decides the topic for each group. Wellness Directors are requested to assist in onsite group-related logistics, including offering methods for “program” awareness directed to residents and their families, providing a private meeting area, and gathering patients on the day of the group.
The referral process and consent to treatment are the same as it is for individual patient referrals. An individual is identified and referred with a designation of possibly a need for group therapy. Premier Choice will then process insurance, and if verified, the individual will have an assessment performed by Premier Choice provider for the services that community. At that time, and if the treatment plan includes group therapy (with or without individual therapy), the individual will then be offered to participate in the group. These groups are ongoing, and new residents are “dropped-in”. A date, time, and place are identified to hold the group. Often, a flyer is posted in a common area to bring awareness to the upcoming group chosen. The group is identified as a closed group of 6-12 sessions with an end date or might be an ongoing open group that accepts drop-ins. A confidential sign-up sheet is posted for participants to sign up. Provider billing includes the Group therapy codes, and if appropriate, Providers will bill for individual therapeutic codes.
The following represents the benefits of the services offered:
This program is of no cost to the Community or its residents.
Premier Choice provides free education to the targeted communities and facilities. Both providers and Premier Choice corporate personnel provide education. Education is provided to residents and community clinical workers. Community personnel choose education subjects, which may include resident wellness activities on issues such as depression, transition and adjustment, dementia, and so on. Clinical staff education includes pertinent circumstances (for example, “How to De-escalate a Difficult Situation” or “Recognizing Early Signs and Symptoms of Depression”). These are value-added techniques for strengthening connections with community personne.
Premier Choice provides support during life’s constant changes, offering therapy to help individuals and families manage significant transitions. They offer a systematic approach to understanding life changes and integrating them into daily life. With the help of therapists, one can navigate these shifts, ensuring they positively shape one’s future.