The PLACE

Life can challenge us sometimes.  At those moments, trained professionals who can help us find our balance and the light along our journey’s path are invaluable.  The PLACE at MHDS has a complement of resources to help persons achieve their best behavioral health goals with services tailored to specific needs.  Additionally, MHDS has a 45+ year history of services to persons with intellectual differences if that is a co-existing condition.  Our staff is well qualified to attend to the needs of individuals with a dual diagnosis. The programs you can benefit from at The PLACE located at the MHDS facility at 59 Conrad Drive include:

One on One Talk Therapy

This service, also known as psychotherapy, involves talking over the specific issues you wish to address to improve your life or determine skill gaps that you can work on to achieve a higher level of functioning related to the issue. Our Therapist works with individuals to cope with feelings, problem solve and change behavior patterns related to defined issues. Sessions will address matters of importance to the person seeking treatment and help them put matters in perspective. Once issues are identified as priorities, the therapist helps the person to resolve them or develop coping techniques.

Talk therapy can help you:

• understand your mental health condition;
• define and reach wellness goals;
• overcome fears or insecurities;
• cope with stress;
• make sense of past traumatic experiences;
• separate your true personality from the moods caused by your condition;
• identify triggers that may worsen your symptoms;
• improve relationships with family and friends;
• establish a stable, dependable routine;
• develop a plan for coping with crises; and
• understand why things bother you and what you can do about them.

Talk therapy services and medication are often used in combination to address emotional issues. Medications management is referred to an independent practitioner. A comprehensive treatment plan is the collaborative effort of all behavioral health professionals involved.

All persons on our behavioral health team have social work or related degrees and have extensive experience. In addition to providing talk therapy, they may specialize in a particular behavior issue such as anxiety, depression, mood stability, aging, chronic mental illness or more.

Psychosocial Rehabilitation Day Services

Meets two days per week in a community environment with session size averaging 8 participants with two sessions from 9 am – 12 pm or 1 pm – 4 pm.  Program focus will be on strengthening individual social skills related to some identified behavioral issue.  Emphasis is on the person’s strengths, needs, abilities and preferences rather than treatment for symptoms of mental illness.  Duration of participation is related to progress made toward an individual goal.  Persons must be 18 years or older.

Core topics include but are not limited to:

Enhancement of the understanding of and ability of persons served to manage & cope with a psychiatric diagnosis using:

• Mental Health apps on electronic devices
• Online Websites & Forums
• Topic of the Hour would include group discussion of matters of importance including diet, exercise, medications, sleep, oral care, etc.
• Psychoeducation to improve knowledge, normalize treatment issues, and motivate towards positive changes
• Development of a Health Passport for each person to create personal health goals & track their own habits related to exercise, sleep and diet.  Weekly progression can be monitored at the facility with checks of weight and blood pressure.
• Grief counseling

Entitlement/Income Budget Maintenance including:

• Computer Training (tablets provided)
• Understanding the difference in SSI and SSA
• Awareness of health insurance provider including how to access my doctors
• Utilizing food stamp benefits & commodities
• How to develop a personal budget
• How to track spending compared to budget
• Consulting with benefits counselor to determine how employment affects benefits

Self-Care & Independent Living Skills emphasizing:

• Utilizing public transportation
• Options to secure transportation to medical appointments
• Ride-sharing options in your community
• On-premises cooking classes
• On-premises laundry instruction
• Practice of living skills including making the bed, washing dishes, using phone/cell, clothes selection for season/occasion, keeping a clean living space, grocery shopping, using technology to broaden independence, etc.
• Increasing self-awareness and socialization
• Developing coping skills
• Practice coping strategies in a safe, real-world environment
• Learning healthy interpersonal boundaries
• Learning productive ways to manage triggers and symptoms related to diagnoses
• Learning skills tailored to the specific person-centered goals of the individual
• Getting along with housemates
• Community socialization
• Healthy lifestyle (nutrition & exercise)

Incorporating enabling technologies into daily living to increase independence including:

• SMART Board which allows for hands-on learning on an extra-large screen for low vision or can give verbal instruction for non-readers.  A wide variety of software options are available to accommodate IDD learners as well.
• Learn how to use personal Alexa, tablet or smartphone reminders and prompts to wake up, take meds, keep appointments, make your day flow from beginning to end, etc.
• How to choose from the technologies & devices available to help you achieve maximum self-reliance

Socialization & Use of Leisure Time may include:

• Art Therapy
• Music Therapy
• Horticulture Therapy
• Meditation/Yoga
• Ecotherapy
• Spiritual/Church engagement
• Card/Board Games
• Sports

Vocational Development/Employment Exploration for those interested:

• Job Readiness curriculum
• Job sites tours and/or vocational assessments
• Interest inventories related to work
• Volunteer activities at local community locations

For a better understanding of this program, watch the video below.

Standards of Excellence in Care

Person Centered service delivery is a mandate for all our programs.  Ensuring the services they receive are those that are relevant and important to them is our goal.

The Mandt System of Crisis Intervention is exclusively utilized by our staff.  This technique is a relationship based method to overcome challenging behaviors with positive results.  Two of our staff are also certified trainers.

The PLACE is a Preferred Provider for ECF Choices & Choices services through your MCO assigned by the Division of TennCare.

Person Centered service delivery is a mandate for all our programs.  Ensuring the services they receive are those that are relevant and important to them is our goal.

More Resources:

🗺️ Downloadable information brochure for The PLACE

🗺️ Downloadable insert on Down Syndrome Supports through The PLACE

Need more info?

https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members-applicants.html

https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-for-adults0.html