As part of the heightened preventive measures we have put in place in response to COVID-19, Belmont Behavioral System in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is now offering services via telephone and virtual communication platforms to ensure the safety of our patients, their family members, and our staff.
What Is Telehealth?
Learn about the benefits of telehealth
The definition of the term telehealth can include a variety of services. The common element among telehealth solutions is that they involve the use of telephones, computers, and other devices to connect individuals who are not in the same place at the same time.
At Belmont Behavioral Health System, we offer three types of telehealth services:
- Telehealth assessments, which may also be referred to as tele-assessments, virtual assessments, or video assessments
- Telehealth programming, which can include telehealth therapy
- Telehealth visitation, which may also be called televisitation or virtual visitation
Telehealth services offer an array of benefits, including ease of use, scheduling flexibility, and expanded access to care. In most cases, you can take part in our telehealth services from the comfort and safety of your own home.
When you take part in a telehealth assessment, telehealth programming, or telehealth visitation through Belmont Behavioral Health System, you can expect to receive superior services provided in a welcoming and supportive atmosphere.
Telehealth Assessments
Telehealth assessment process at Belmont Behavioral Health System in Philadelphia, PA
Every person who takes part in treatment at Belmont Behavioral Health System completes an assessment. In addition to helping us determine if our facility is the right place for a prospective patient, the assessment process also guides the development of personalized treatment plans for those who are accepted into one of our programs.
Our telehealth assessment, or tele-assessment, option now allows individuals to take part in this process without having to leave their house.
A tele-assessment session may be conducted over the phone or as a video assessment. In either case, the process consists of a conversation between an individual who is seeking treatment and a member of the Belmont Behavioral Health System team.
If you take part in a tele-assessment, you’ll be asked some questions about the nature and severity of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing, your treatment history, your goals for treatment, and other relevant topics. You’ll also be able to ask questions of your own, and get detailed answers from the professional who is conducting your assessment.
At the end of the telehealth assessment process, the professional with whom you have been speaking will make a recommendation for the type and level of care that appears to be best for you. That recommendation may be for a program at Belmont Behavioral Health System, or it may be for a service that’s offered by another trusted provider. In either case, you will have a much better understanding of your options, but you will be under no obligation to enter treatment. The purpose of this free service is to match you with the programming that best meets your specific needs.
Telehealth Programming
Telehealth programming at Belmont Behavioral Health System in Philadelphia, PA
Belmont Behavioral Health System offers two levels of outpatient care: a partial hospitalization program (PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (IOP). Depending upon various individual factors, individuals may enter treatment directly at the PHP or IOP levels, or they may step down to one of these levels after completing an inpatient program.
At both the PHP and IOP levels, individuals attend treatment during scheduled hours, then return home or to a supported residence when programming is not in session. Previously, participants were required to attend treatment in person at our hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Now, with our telehealth programming option, individuals who meet the admissions criteria for PHP or IOP can receive services via a virtual communication platform.
If you take part in outpatient telehealth therapy through Belmont Behavioral Health System, you will use a HIPAA-compliant videoconference service to connect with our programming. In the case of group therapy, you’ll connect with the other participants as well as the professional who is leading the session.
While you’re taking part in telehealth programming, you’ll be able to see, hear, and speak with others, regardless of distance. You will address the same types of topics that you would discuss if all participants were in the same room, and you will have the opportunity to work on the same types of skills.
If you are precluded from traveling to our hospital due to mobility limitations, health concerns, or other reasons, our outpatient telehealth solution may be an ideal way for you to take part in treatment.
Telehealth Visitation
Telehealth visitation at Belmont Behavioral Health System in Philadelphia, PA
The support of friends and family members can be extremely valuable to a person who is receiving inpatient treatment. Depending upon each person’s unique circumstances, we do our best to promote healthy and productive communication between our patients and their children, spouses, partners, parents, and other loved ones. This includes in-person visitation when clinically appropriate.
We now also offer a telehealth visitation, or televisitation, option to help patients stay in touch with the members of their personal support network. Televisitation sessions operate in a similar manner to our telehealth programming. Participants connect via videoconferencing software, which allows them to see, hear, and speak to each other.
Telehealth visitations offer significant benefits, both to the individuals who are receiving care and the loved ones who are connecting with them from afar. Having personal conversations and sharing support through televisitation sessions can be extremely meaningful to all participants. During and after a person’s time in our care, maintaining healthy relationships can promote improved health and long-term progress. Televisitation sessions can be a vital part of this effort.