Where hope never ends
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Mental Health & Psychiatry
Individual Counseling Services for Adults
Our therapists are caring and experienced in helping individuals improve mental health with the use of interventions proven to be effective. Our goal is to provide a personalized approach to support you reaching optimal and long-lasting mental wellness. Interventions may include treatment models such as but not limited to: Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, as well as others as appropriate.
Couples
Counseling
Our therapists are skilled at working with couples to assist with improvement or resolution of issues of couples and their relationship. Couples therapy can identify, explore and address communication in a relationship, re-occurring patterns from one’s family of origin, effects from trauma, healthy resolution of conflict and other “stuck points” that the couple identifies in a relationship. Therapy may include a combination of couples therapy with individual sessions as well.
Family
Counseling
Family therapy involves working on the dynamics of the family group to nurture change and development in helping achieve desired improvements. Family therapy can help your family improve communication, support one another and resolve conflict. You will work with your therapist in identifying what changes are wanted or needed within your identified family group and who in the family group will participate in therapy sessions.
Group
Counseling
Group counseling is a way for people to work together in a safe and confidential environment to share their experiences, learn from each other and develop new ways of interacting. They can provide a forum to practice social skills, instill hope, and helps you see that you are not alone. Such groups can be either as a complement to one-on-one therapy sessions or may be on its own. The counseling groups at Beacon Place Mental Health Center are led by one or more of our experienced therapists.
Children and Adolescent
Counseling
Child and Adolescent counseling include a variety of age -appropriate activities and techniques to help children develop healthy thinking patterns and behavior. It may include such things as play therapy, talk therapy, positive reinforcement, or reframing. It helps children better interpret the issues they are experiencing in a way they can process and understand, supporting them to resume a healthy and productive life. Our therapists have the knowledge and expertise to assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health conditions, adjustment issues and psychological distress in children and adolescents.
Psychiatry
Outpatient Psychiatric treatment can help people manage mental health conditions without the need for overnight care as a hospital inpatient. Our Psychiatrists and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners work with you to assess your illness and symptoms, collaborate with you in development of a person-centered treatment plan, and work as an integral part of your mental health care team to assist with illness management and recovery. They may also prescribe mental health medications as a part of your treatment plan.
Medication Management
The goal of medication management is to help you improve your quality of life and manage your symptoms. A Psychiatrist or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner helps you manage your mental health medications through evaluation of your medical history, symptoms and overall health to determine the best medications and dosage for your situation. The clinician monitors your response to the medication and checks for side effects. They may make adjustments to the medications as needed. Medication management is often combined with other treatments like therapy, lifestyle changes and support networks.
Telemental Health
Telemental health sessions involve a licensed therapist providing counseling to an individual, couple or family using videoconferencing, phone or other applications. Beacon Place Mental Health Center has been providing telemental health since 2020, offering the addition of evening and weekend appointments. All therapists are credentialled at the same level as those who provide in-person therapy. The platforms used are secure to protect the confidentiality of sessions. Most therapy modalities can be conducted effectively through telemental health with some exceptions. It is widely felt that use of telemental health for young children is not an effective means of treatment.
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What is the admission process?When you first contact our agency, a trained, experienced screening specialist will ask you some preliminary screening questions. The purpose is to gather basic information to begin to clarify what your unique situation is and what issues you wish to address with mental health services. Once this brief screening is done, an appointment will be set with an intake clinician to begin a more thorough evaluation of your situation to assess the problems you are facing. The information provided during this initial assessment feeds into the deeper evaluation your assigned therapist will conduct. The screening process will take 60-180 minutes and may involve up to three appointments. Once the registration and screening assessment paperwork is finished, you will be assigned a therapist at which time you are considered admitted to Beacon Place Mental Health Center.
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What should I expect at my first counseling session?Prior to your first counselling session, the assigned therapist will review your screening information as a basis at your first session for conducting a deeper evaluation with you about your concerns and possible symptoms. This comprehensive evaluation facilitates us to provide a diagnosis and to work with you collaboratively to develop your treatment plan. The deeper evaluation process and treatment plan development may take 1-3 sessions. We know that finding the right therapist is important to your success in treatment. This initial time with the therapist is a time to get to know you and for you to get a sense of whether you feel the “fit” is good between you and the therapist. We will work with you to help find the therapist that you feel comfortable with and will best meet your needs.
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What questions should I ask at the first visit with my therapist?Here are some sample questions that you may find helpful to address at your first therapy session. It is normal to feel slightly nervous approaching the first- time meeting with your therapist so we suggest you write down your questions so that you don’t forget to ask any of them. What is the therapist’s professional background and qualifications including any relevant specializations? What is the therapist’s experience with similar issues to those you are facing? What approach will the therapist use? What is their treatment philosophy? Any other questions or concerns you may have.
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How will I know when I’m making progress?Sometimes as people start talking about issues that they have been dealing with, they report a temporary feeling of relief. This is normal and the result of unburdening themselves to a therapist or group.Long-lasting results come from making positive changes over time in an effort to reach your personal goals. The treatment plan that you and your therapist work to design in your first few sessions will identify goals you want to work on. Measurable goals and outcomes may include but are not limited to: Creating a change in attitude, belief and behaviors (such as “I can’t” to “I can”) Reduction in or elimination of symptoms such as depression or anxiety Learning new coping skills to deal with relationship problems or traumatic events How to deal with sudden changes in life that result in anxiety, loss, grief or many other possible reactions To track progress toward those goals, you and your primary therapist will review the plan you constructed during the first appointment, adding objectives or making other changes as necessary throughout the course of your treatment. Your progress is also tracked through periodic use of assessment tools that give you information about how the changes you are making have affected your functioning.
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How long does therapy usually last?Different goals take different lengths of time for different people. The time for you will be derived from your therapist and yourself collaboratively writing you goals and the amount of time you need to complete them. We do not practice “one size fits all” treatment. You are the driver in the process, we are the navigators (or GPS) assisting you in getting where you want to be safely and effectively.
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What am I supposed to do if I have a problem or concern with my therapist or my treatment?The first step is to openly discuss the issues or concerns with your therapist. If the issues remain unresolved you may ask to communicate with the clinician’s supervisor. If discussion with the supervisor does not satisfactorily address the issue you can follow the formal Beacon Place grievance procedure. The steps and forms necessary to do so will be provided to you on admission or you may request them from the Beacon Place receptionist at any time. As part of this formal grievance process you may ultimately meet with the Executive Director to discuss your concerns.
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What do I do if I need help after hours when Beacon Place Mental Health Center is closed?Beacon Place has arranged for after-hours emergency coverage with the Orange County Crisis Call Center. This after-hours phone number will be given to you in your admission packet plus it is noted within the recorded answering message on the Beacon Place phone line if no one is available to personally answer our phone lines. The Crisis Call Center trained clinicians will handle emergency mental health issues during Beacon Place office closures and will follow up with communication with your primary therapist at Beacon Place to inform them of your after-hours call and how your issues were resolved. Your primary therapist will follow up with you to assure that the issues triggering the after- hours call are either resolved or will schedule time with you to further work on the issues.
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How much does therapy cost and how will I pay for services?Beacon Place Mental Health Center is a participating provider for most insurance plans in New York State including Medicaid and Medicare. Our intake specialist will check with your health insurance carrier to confirm that our services are covered through your insurance plan and determine what your deductible or co-payment will be. For reference for persons self-paying for services, costs differ depending on type of service-- individual counseling, family or couples counseling and psychiatry have different rates. Cost is also dependent on length of time of a session. Our intake specialist will discuss cost of services and means of payment with you during the intake process once we ascertain what type(s) of services you need. Information about the Beacon Place sliding fee scale for private pay individuals or for clients experiencing financial hardships is available as well. You may ask your therapist or our receptionist for further guidelines related to the sliding fee scale.