Navigating the mental health care system is difficult even for loved ones who aren’t seeking treatment for themselves. When you’re struggling with a mental health condition, finding the care you need can be overwhelming. Like medical health care systems, mental health treatment has become much more complex in recent years. People now see a range of specialized care providers instead of just one or two. 

When these care systems first started to become more fragmented, more treatment gaps emerged and people may start to slip through the cracks. This is why the idea of a continuum of care emerged. It helps care providers and client advocates direct people to the right professionals for the treatment they need when they need it. 

This article talks about what we mean by “continuum of care” and how Lightfully programs support you through each step of your treatment journey.

What does “continuum of care” mean?

The concept of a continuum of care is taken from the medical sector. It was developed to ensure efficient and consistent care for each individual client over a period of time and across the spectrum of care. A continuum of care establishes clear roles and responsibilities for each organization and each care provider. This makes it easier to determine the next steps for individuals as their needs change and ensure that everyone gets the care they need. 

In terms of mental health care, the full spectrum must facilitate each client’s journey from their initial assessment through high-acuity situations and different levels of outpatient treatment. Our continuum of care at Lightfully serves clients who need treatment that’s more comprehensive than outpatient therapy, those with conditions that affect their ability to function and people looking for alternatives to hospitalization. It includes Residential Treatment Centers (RTCs), a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and a virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP).

How do Lightfully programs create a complete continuum of mental health care?

At Lightfully, we provide four seamless levels of care for our adult clients. This means we can adjust each person’s level of care while maintaining as much consistency as possible from start to finish. You’ll mostly work with the same licensed clinicians in one dedicated treatment team. Staying in the same treatment environments and working with the same care providers helps people make sustainable progress. We also have programs for teens and college-aged young adults. 

We begin each new client relationship with an in-depth assessment. We use our unique Precision Care Model (PCM) to create highly individualized treatment plans for each person in our care. Treatment decisions are driven by our clients’ understanding of their experiences. Not diagnostic labels and symptoms. Each phase of their treatment plan builds on the previous one, with a lot of support through transitions to lower levels of care and community life. 

We provide the following levels of treatment at Lightfully for seamless, continuous mental health care:

• Residential Treatment (RTC) — Clients start at this level of treatment when they need overnight nursing care. Our RTCs are cozy home environments where people can focus on their mental health with few distractions. They’re regulated to meet certain care standards, ensuring client safety and effective treatment.
• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) — PHP is our highest level of outpatient treatment. Clients receive individual and group therapy sessions during the day, and they can go home to sleep in their own beds at night. To be a good fit for PHP, clients should have a stable home environment and enough functional ability to manage less structured time outside of treatment hours.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) — IOPs support our clients as they make their transition back to life in the community. They spend three to six hours a day in treatment instead of a full day, and they taper down to fewer days in treatment per week. 
• Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP) — vIOP makes it easier for clients to fit treatment into their busy schedules. Results are comparable to our in-person treatments, and vIOP makes it possible to attend treatment from anywhere in the state of California.

We also offer a Short-Term Option for each level of treatment. Instead of committing to a full course of treatment, clients can attend treatment at one level for just a couple of weeks. This is helpful for people who are new to treatment and those who want to make use of a short break from work or school.

How do Lightfully’s licensed clinicians support you through transitions?

When you start treatment at Lightfully, the individualized treatment plan you receive is a road map of where your treatment journey will take you. You’ll go to a few different group therapy sessions each day and receive a lot of one-on-one therapy in the same environment. The biggest transition our clients make is going from a Residential Treatment Center to our Partial Hospitalization Program, which is in a different type of facility. The clients in your groups at the beginning of treatment will make the same transitions, so you may see a lot of familiar faces. 

Your case manager and your primary therapist will provide information about each step in your treatment process so you’ll feel prepared and there won’t be any surprises. At the beginning and end of your treatment journey with Lightfully, we work with your referring clinician to make those transitions as smooth as possible. 

Are you looking for a higher level of care for yourself or a loved one? Reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team with any questions or to schedule an assessment. Let’s make the next steps of your journey a little brighter.