Frequently Asked Questions

We are committed to offering immediate access to our mental health center, scheduling assessments on the same or next day individuals contact us and providing psychiatric evaluations within 24-48 hours. This ensures that individuals can receive the care they need promptly. Our Contact Center also has evening and weekend hours so that individuals can schedule a mental health assessment within 24 hours of contacting us.

Compass Health Center provides immediate access to specialized mental health care for individuals experiencing challenges that affect their daily lives. This begins with our mental health assessment that can be scheduled within 24 hours of a person’s initial phone call. Our expertise covers a broad spectrum of age-specific specialty areas, including trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, school refusal, anxiety, depression, mental health, chronic pain, and illness, and the intersection of mental health and substance use. Our Partial Hospitalization (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Programs are age-specific levels of mental health care that provide specialized, multidisciplinary clinical support for children, teens, young adults and adults who require more comprehensive treatment than traditional outpatient therapy but do not require inpatient hospitalization or residential care. Our treatment model includes evaluation, diagnosis, group therapy, individual therapy, family therapy, psychiatry, medication management, transition management, and discharge planning. Intermediate care often serves as the solution for a family or individual in crisis without the need to enter an emergency room.

Compass Health Center provides mental health care for individuals ranging from the age of 5 through adulthood, who struggle with a variety of conditions including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, trauma, OCD, school anxiety and refusal, and mental health and substance use that impact day-to-day functioning. Our programs are specifically tailored for those requiring more support than traditional outpatient therapy, offering a vital solution for individuals in crisis and providing specialized care without the need for emergency room visits or inpatient hospitalizations. * *Ages and programs vary by location. Please call for more information.

Compass Health Center doesn't require referrals. You can choose to self-refer for treatment, and we encourage patients and their families to take this proactive step in seeking the care they need. * *Some insurance plans may require a referral for coverage. Our team is here to help patients and parents/guardians with any questions or concerns about insurance.

At Compass Health Center, our Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) provide comprehensive support for individuals needing more intensive treatment than what's available in outpatient care. PHP is ideal for those finding it challenging to cope with daily stressors, keep up with work or school, and maintain their routines. In our program, participants benefit from a variety of therapies and support services, including group and individual therapy, family sessions, psychiatric care, medication management, nursing support, experiential therapies, and personalized discharge planning. For children and teens, we also offer educational support to help them navigate their mental health journey. Throughout their time with us, they learn practical strategies for managing symptoms and stress in their everyday lives. Our proven treatment approach focuses on symptom reduction and stabilization for those in immediate need. Participants attend the program Monday through Friday, engaging in a mix of group and individual sessions guided by licensed therapists.

At Compass Health Center, our Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) offer a flexible and effective treatment approach for individuals seeking long-term stability. Whether you're transitioning from our PHP program or facing challenges in traditional outpatient care, our goal is to provide intensive support while allowing you to maintain your daily routine. IOP is designed for those dealing with life stressors but still able to manage work, school, or other daily responsibilities. Our comprehensive treatment model includes various therapies and support services such as group and individual therapy, family sessions, psychiatric care, medication management, nursing support, experiential therapies, transition assistance, and discharge planning. Throughout the program, participants learn practical coping strategies to manage mental health symptoms and everyday challenges. We offer both daytime and evening sessions Monday through Friday, allowing you to choose a schedule that fits your needs. You'll collaborate with our treatment team to create a personalized plan, and each day, you'll engage in a mix of group and individual sessions led by licensed therapists.

At the program’s start time, the group therapy session begins with a check-in, followed by various groups that focus on skills building, processing emotions, mindfulness, and specialty treatment needs throughout the day. Skills groups focus on learning and practicing coping strategies for managing symptoms and emotions, while process groups bring together people facing similar challenges to share their feelings and support each other in overcoming common struggles. There are breaks between groups such as a lunch for patients in PHP. Throughout the week, the participant will meet with members of their treatment team including their individual therapist and psychiatrist/psychiatric nurse practitioner as well as a family therapist and educational specialist if applicable. Additional support includes nursing, resource and executive functioning, experiential therapies, and study time for children and adolescents.

Participants participate in our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) five days a week. Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) usually begins five days a week and gradually decreases as symptoms improve. Individuals in our IOP can address their mental health while continuing to work, go to school, and handle daily responsibilities at home. Compass Health Center provides both daytime and evening options. The patient and treatment team will work together to develop a treatment plan and determine an estimated length of stay, considering data on optimal outcomes and the patient's specific needs.

At Compass Health Center, we are committed to delivering the highest quality specialized mental health care that maximizes a person’s experience as well as outcomes. Our research, based on 2,300 patients, shows that fully participating in the recommended course of treatment—beginning with our Partial Hospitalization Program and moving through to our Intensive Outpatient Program— allows individuals to leave program with significantly decreased symptoms, from moderate/severe at intake to mild/minimal at discharge, increased overall wellbeing and functioning, and less likely to need to return to similar levels of care. Our data suggests a typical sequence of 16 to 20 PHP treatment days followed by 30 IOP treatment days for young adults and adults, depending on individual treatment needs, symptoms, and goals. For adolescents, our data currently indicates greatest results after 16 to 20 PHP treatment days followed by 16 IOP treatment days. By fully engaging in each step of your treatment plan, you or your loved one can achieve the best possible results, mastering the skills essential for enhancing mental well-being. Stay committed to each phase of the journey, as every step is designed to strengthen the foundation for lasting mental health.

With the family’s permission, the Compass Health Center team communicates directly with a child's school regarding their educational and therapeutic progress. This communication includes discussing any support needed from the school to help the patient maintain their educational goals. Additionally, the child’s assigned education specialist at Compass Health Center collaborates with the school to develop a plan for receiving and submitting various homework and school assignments. Furthermore, Compass Health Center schedules a return-to-school meeting to discuss and prepare for the patient’s transition back to their regular school schedule.

If there is an emergency outside of program hours, the patient should call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room. Compass Health Center psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners are on call during non-program hours, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to support patients enrolled in our PHP and IOP programs. Patients can reach them by calling Compass Health Center's front office number and leaving a message with the answering service.

Depending on the emergency, we direct callers to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Remember, you are not alone; we are here to help and support you through challenging times. In case of an emergency, we urge callers to immediately dial 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency department.

Mental health treatment is complex and requires specialization. Our team at Compass Health Center utilizes evidence-based approaches and has specific expertise to provide specialized care for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), OCD, mental health, pain, and illness, school anxiety and refusal, mental health and substance use disorder, and emotional and behavioral dysregulation in children.

Compass Health Center's core treatment modalities are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), motivational interviewing, and when appropriate, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).

During the assessment process, an expert intake therapist will assess whether our Partial Hospitalization (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Programs are a good fit for the individual. If the clinician determines that Compass is not able to effectively treat a patient’s needs, they will provide referrals to other providers or programs.

PHP and IOP are the terms usedby insurance companies to describe these levels of mental health treatment.PHP stands for Partial Hospitalization Program and IOP stands for Intensive Outpatient Program. PHP offers a level of support that includes daily group therapy, family therapy, individual therapy, access to a psychiatric prescriber, and experiential therapies. It is designed to help kids and teens who are struggling to engage in their daily activities and temporarily need more support than outpatient therapy or psychiatry alone. You may also hear PHP described as a day program at Compass, as it takes place Monday through Friday, during the day. IOP is a level of care between PHP and seeing an outpatient therapist once or twice a week. It’s designed to help our patients maintain the gains they’ve made it PHP when a child or teen has returned to school or their day-to-day summer routines.

Our ability to communicate with the school enables your child to experience minimal disruption to their education while receiving the full benefit of care with Compass. This communication is possible through something called a Release of Information (ROI). Most importantly, the ROI allows us to work with your child’s school to facilitate the completion of schoolwork while at Compass and to plan for a successful return to school. Also, a full ROI allows us to medically excuse your child from school, alleviating parents or caregivers from calling in their child each day from school.

Based on data collected from thousands of patients, those who complete the recommended duration of treatment with us achieve thebest possible outcomes—a significant decrease in the frequency and severity of symptoms. Most children and teens start in our day program (PHP) and are recommended to complete at least 16 treatment days, followed by a minimum of 16 treatment days in after-school or daytimeprogramming (IOP). Some individuals who have previously completed treatment may begin directly in the intensive outpatientprogram, with a recommended minimum of 19 treatment days. Our goal is to provide your child and family with comprehensive support to ensure a smooth and successful return to their regular routine while minimizing the need for future treatments whenever possible.

We understand the importance of staying engaged in daily life and extracurricular activities as much as possible. Our data shows that completing the recommended course of treatment leads to optimal outcomes, significantly reducingthe likelihood of needing to return to a program in the future. Additionally, at the IOP level of care, optimal outcomes are achieved more quickly when a person attends more frequently rather than spreading treatment days over a longer period. You’ve madethe brave decision to prioritize your child’s mental health, and we want to help them get the most out of their time with us. Our treatment recommendations are based on your child’s individual needs and clinical data from thousands of patients. IOP, the half-day programthat follows the full-day program, is essential for a complete and effective treatment course. It aims to reduce the likelihood of future readmission and helps them feel better and return to daily life as quickly as possible.

Compass Health Center is in-network with most major commercial insurers, though Medicare and Medicaid are not currently accepted. Compass Health Center works with all insurance companies, whether in- or out-of-network, to pre-authorize and prove medical necessity. If the insurance is out-of-network with Compass Health Center, the patient can still submit the claim so they can potentially receive out-of-network benefits reimbursement. Our team is here to assist patients and parents/guardians with insurance-related queries and potential costs, recognizing that reimbursement can be complex, especially during crises. Compass Health Center is dedicated to providing support in any way we can.

Compass Health Center is deeply committed to assisting individuals in crisis. Our call center is accessible at 877.552.6672, and our compassionate team is prepared to guide callers by referring them to our partnering clinicians, organizations or other community resources if Compass is not the right fit for any reason.