Activities and Groups- The multi-disciplinary treatment team determines which activities the patient will participate in and to what extent the participation will be. Activities and activity groups that patients may participate in are:

• School Friendship group
• Recreational therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Cooking group
• Relaxation group
• Art group
• Medication group

Recreational Therapy

Recreational therapy focuses on developing leisure and interpersonal skills in- group setting. Participation for some patients is based upon the ability to maintain a pattern of weight gain or weight maintenance while actively participating in physically strenuous activities.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy assists the patient to identify skills, interests, and capacities. The focus is on assisting the patient to develop more skills. A number of additional activity groups exist within the occupational therapy setting.

Relaxation Group

Relaxation group utilizes a variety of techniques including gentle stretching, awareness of breath, and listening to quiet music to teach patients how to effectively alleviate symptoms of stress.

Art Group

All patients are encouraged to participate in art group. Through a variety of techniques such as painting, drawing, calligraphy, etc., the patient may experience an increase level of comfort in creative self-expression.

Cooking Group

Cooking group is an activity where patients are taught the fundamentals of planning, shopping for, and preparing nutritionally balanced meals. Cooking group provides a setting where patients are assisted to decrease anxieties associated for nutritional food management.

Social Skills Group

Amigos group is an activity, which teaches patients basic fundamentals of how to get along with peers. Strategies such as taking turns in speaking are taught.

Positive reinforcement is provided for patients who participate in social skills group.

Medication Group

Medication group teaches patients about the nature of their illness and the activities necessary to achieve and maintain a positive level of health. This includes understanding their symptoms and the nature and use of medication. Medication compliance is emphasized.

Patient/Family Education

Patient/family education is an ongoing activity, which occurs from the time of admission throughout hospitalization. The goals of education are to provide the patient and family with the knowledge and skills needed to maintain an optimal level of wellness outside of the hospital setting and include medication and symptoms management.

People-Animal Connection Group

Animal-assisted therapy is a goal-oriented intervention in which animals that meet specific criteria become integral to the treatment process. The interaction between patient and animals is guided towards meeting therapy goals.

Friendship Group

Friendship group is led by a chaplain. The group serves to assess and help to explore spiritual needs.

Unit Rules

1. Every morning, we shower or take a bath, change into clean clothes, brush our teeth, make our beds, and clean our rooms.
2. We always wear shoes outside of the rooms. Closed toe shoes should be worn on the deck and while off the unit.
3. We eat during meal and snack time. Meal and snack times are as followed: 8am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, 5pm and 8pm for “B”&”C” neighborhoods. “A” times are: 8:15am, 12:15pm, 3:15pm, 5:15pm and 8:15pm. We don't share food brought in to the units. Sodas & Gatorade are only given at lunch time
4. We run and jump out on the deck and walk when we're inside. We keep hands and feet to ourselves. Remember, body boundaries.
5. We can only have appropriate conversations. We cannot whisper and use foul language (no cursing) to staff and each other. We treat everyone with respect and care-just how we would want to be treated. We always speak nicely and kindly to everyone.
6. We attend and participate in all groups and activities (if refusing groups you will wait in your rooms). We follow directions from staff.
7. We go to our assigned staff to get our needs met: we don't ask a different staff just because we don't like the answer.
8. We don't share our own toys, games, clothes and supplies with each other, but we can play and share UNIT own toys, games and supplies. We put toys, games and supplies away when we are finished with them.
9. We make phone calls outside of groups, activities, or meals. You can make two 10 minute calls per shift. Last phone call done by 9 pm. No calls during Personal Reflection Time (PRT).
10. We visit with family and friends inside our rooms; we leave the dayroom to staff and peers. We also do not socialize with our peers' visitors.
11. We visit with peers in the dayroom or on the deck, but not in the hallways or in each other's room. We don't go into peer's room or stand in their door way, because we are respectful of others' space.
12. We use pajamas, blankets, pillows and stuffed animals inside of our rooms only.
13. We wear appropriate clothing that covers inappropriate body parts and scars/cuts. No midriffs, no short shorts, sleeveless tops, tube tops, t-shirts with cursing/ inappropriate words, no short dresses.