Admissions Criteria

Learn more about our admissions criteria at Southwood Psychiatric Hospital

Once the assessment process is completed by our staff, we will evaluate individual risk factors in order to determine the most beneficial and least restrictive level of care. Inpatient hospitalization is the last and most acute level of care, and is only utilized when all other treatment options have been exhausted. Inpatient admission is only appropriate if there is an imminent danger to self or others, inability to care for self, or the need for medical supervision due to acute toxicity or withdrawal effects caused by prolonged exposure due to substance abuse. Some that do not meet these criteria may be appropriate for a less restrictive level of care such as intensive outpatient treatment or partial hospitalization programming. We strongly encourage all individuals that are considering treatment, to schedule an assessment with one of our professional intake staff and allow them to suggest the most appropriate level of treatment. Below is a breakdown of the most common admission criteria for inpatient services.

Criteria for inpatient admission include but are not limited to the following:

Patient is an imminent danger to self exhibited by suicidal attempts and serious gestures such as overdose, attempted hanging, or cutting of wrist. The presence of verbal suicidal threats and/or repeated suicidal thoughts with a plan and intent to follow through, even without a history of prior attempts, are also considered serious warning signs requiring inpatient admission.

Learn more about the criteria for self-harm

• History of attempts in patient and/or family
• Verbally threatens
• Plan and intent
• Self injurious behavior
• Access to weapons
• History of abuse

• Risky behavior
• Depression
• Hopelessness
• Loss of interest
• Problems with sleep and appetite
• Wrapping up affairs

• Substance abuse
• Socially withdrawn
• Moodiness
• Recent life crisis
• Sudden changes in appearance
• Sudden calm behavior

Patient is immediate danger to others exhibited by homicidal attempts or gestures such as violent, impulsive, explosive, aggressive, disruptive, or combative behavior. Homicidal verbal threats or reoccurring thoughts also represent a potential threat to others and typically require inpatient stabilization.

Learn more about the criteria for harm to others

• History of violence
• Verbal threats
• Identifiable target
• Access to weapons
• Impulsive
• Explosive

• Socially isolated
• Aggressive
• Combative
• Disruptive
• Paranoia
• History of abuse

• Substance abuse
• Fire starting
• Cruelty towards animals
• Irritability
• Problems with sleep and appetite

Inability to care for oneself and/or personal safety due to psychiatric instability. Often associated with putting one’s self in a dangerous situation due to inability to identify and achieve basic daily living needs such as eating and normal hygiene. Also includes putting one’s self in dangerous situations due to impaired judgment or uninhibited, forgetful, or impulsive behaviors.

Learn more about the criteria for psychiatric instability

• • Poor hygiene
  • Not eating or drinking
  • Unable to perform normal daily living activity
  • Impaired judgment
  • Tangential thoughts
  • Mania
  • Psychosis
  • Paranoia
  • Self endangering behaviors
  • Self defeating behaviors
  • Running away from home
  • Uninhibited
  • Forgetful
  • Impulsive

  The presence of acute psychosis which includes but is not limited to auditory/visual hallucinations, disorganized or illogical thoughts, bizarre behavior, delusions, and paranoia.

  • Disorganized or Illogical thought
  • Auditory/Visual Hallucinations
  • Bizarre behavior
  • Paranoia
  • Problems with sleep and appetite
  • Disheveled appearance
  • Confusion
  • Impaired speech

  Need for medical supervision and stabilization due to lethal withdrawal symptoms associated with detoxification from physically addictive substances. Also associated with the risks to a person’s medical well being with regards to substance abuse and chemical dependency.

Learn more about the criteria for lethal withdrawal

• Uncontrollable tremors
• Sweating
• Pain
• Respiratory distress
• Hallucinations

• Use of multiple substances
• Problems with sleep and appetite
• Co-occurring medical problems
• Psychiatric distress
• Accidental overdose

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Infections
• Flushing
• Low blood pressure