INTEGRIS Health

PROJECT PURPOSE

INTEGRIS Mental Health Spencer provides unique services for pediatric behavioral health patients across Oklahoma. Our Sexual Trauma and Abuse Recovery (STAR) program is the only program of its kind in the state and helps children ages 5-17 address problematic behaviors that stem from their personal history of abuse and reclaim their lives. This program serves a significant number of children in DHS and OJA custody every year, totaling 3,596 patient days in 2021. These patients are regularly admitted from across the state and maintain an average stay of 6-9 months where they receive intensive treatment. These units provide high-quality, evidence based psychiatric care that aims to address specific trauma reactions, develop adaptive coping strategies, control impulsive behaviors, and incorporate the family system in treatment and recovery processes as much as possible. This project aims to modernize INTEGRIS Health Spencer?s aging STAR units to provide an even higher level of care to those that call these units home for months and even years of their life. The current facilities do not reflect best practice for a therapeutic environment. These patients regularly face challenges related to self-worth and value and this project aims to provide a therapeutic and healing environment that contributes to their recovery.

EVIDENCE

The Sexual Trauma and Abuse Recovery Units incorporate a multitude of evidence-based tools and interventions into their treatment plans. One of the primary interventions utilized is Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). TF-CBT has been proven through randomized controlled trials over the last 25 years to help children improve their symptoms and responses following trauma. STAR units also utilize the ?Treatment Manual for Treating Sexually Aggressive Youth?, and ?Pathways?, which is also an evidence-based tool and practice for treating sexually aggressive youth and is built off of a structured series of interventions that purposely involve the family or support system.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

INTEGRIS Health?s two STAR units treat children ages 5-12 and 13-17 that have been victims of sexual abuse. These units regularly operate at capacity with patients from across the state, including a significant number of children in DHS or OJA custody. COVID-19 forced many children to isolate in unstable home environments. The byproducts of COVID-19?including economic devastation, disconnection from social and community resources, and persistent uncertainty and anxiety?have triggered violence in homes where perhaps it didn?t previously exist and exacerbated violence and mistreatment in others. Children that are victims of sexual violence are likely to suffer from long term adverse physical and mental health outcomes without appropriate intervention. These include, but are not limited to, higher risk of chronic disease, substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder, risky sexual behaviors, and depression. Furthermore, these children are at an increased risk of experiencing educational challenges, limited employment opportunities, and incarceration if their trauma continues untreated. Currently, approximately 90% of INTEGRIS Mental Health Spencer?s patient population is covered by Medicaid. This project aims to expand and improve INTEGRIS Health?s offerings to an incredibly vulnerable population and meet a unique need in our state.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

The STAR units will utilize regularly collected performance improvement data to promote programmatic integrity. Data will be collected related to patient and/or caregiver safety events, compliance to standardized risk assessment processes, quality measures reflecting regularly updated treatment plans, communication regarding medication and discharge planning, timely and accurate documentation and rounding processes, and patient experience scores.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma