Behavioral Health Services
Our behavioral health team works to get to know you, your medical history and your immediate needs.
Your decisions hold the power to determine many things about your relationships and your wellbeing. If you regularly make destructive choices, your life will show it. Behavioral health services can help you turn things around.
Mental health is a key component of behavioral health. Behavioral service providers also understand that your biology and your physical health can play a role in your overall wellbeing.
If you or a loved one struggles with mental health, defiance or another behavioral concern, the team at Long Island Select Healthcare (LISH) can help you find solutions.
Customizing Your Care with Psychological Assessments
Improving your behavioral health begins with understanding the issues. To learn more about why you act the way you do, our experts will use a variety of assessment tools to get to know you.
These may include:
- Psychiatric Evaluations
- Psychological Testing
- Psychosocial Assessments
- Adaptive Behavior Assessment
- Diagnostic Assessment for Autism and ADHD
In addition to talking to you, we may consult teachers and family members to learn more about your regular behaviors and how you respond to various situations. Other steps of the process may include going over your medical history and your school records.
Adaptive Behavior Assessments are used for measuring behavioral skills, such as communication, everyday living skills and personal relationships. This method of assessment is used for all age groups. It can help clinicians identify developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.
By understanding your needs, behavioral health specialists can work to create a treatment plan that addresses your unique situation. Behavioral therapy doesn’t come in a one-size-fits-all form. You will need treatments that are specific to your particular strengths and deficits.
Therapy Options for Your Behavioral Health Needs
Our team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and NPs provide counseling and other behavioral health services at multiple locations.
Other people come to see us because of mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Behavioral healthcare can also make a difference for people with developmental disabilities, learning disabilities or past trauma.
Your therapy regimen will be customized to your needs and may include:
- Individual sessions
- Family meetings
- Practices you can implement at home
- Prescription medication
Our team may use techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy to help you adjust your thoughts and your habits. We may also teach you strategies that you can use at home, school or work for mindfulness and emotional regulation.
In some cases, telehealth services may be included in your therapy regimen. Through our patient portal and other telemedicine programs, you can stay in touch with your behavioral health caregivers on a regular basis. With telehealth, you may be able to reduce the frequency of your in-office appointments.
Importance of Evidence-based Treatment
Over the years, you may have heard many suggestions from well-meaning people about how you should address your mental and behavioral health. Most likely, not all of that advice was beneficial. In fact, some of it may have been damaging to your emotional wellbeing.
At LISH, we understand that people with behavioral health disorders need more than casual advice and good wishes. Instead, we believe in relying on evidence-based practices.
For a treatment to be considered evidence-based, there needs to be research that supports it. Scientific studies must demonstrate that the approach has helped many real people, some of whom may have had a lot in common with you.
Although no two people are exactly alike, using evidence-based treatments increases the chance that your therapies will make a difference in your life. Your LISH care providers will use evidence-based practices to customize a treatment plan for you.
Medication for Behavioral Health
Some people with behavioral health conditions can benefit from adding prescription medications to their treatment regimen. Pharmaceuticals may reduce the severity of symptoms so you can begin to function more normally and take steps to address your behavior.
Medical interventions may be helpful for:
- Substance abuse once detoxed and medically established
- Depression and anxiety
- Ongoing and significant mental illness
- Issues with behavior and focus at school
In most cases, medication alone is not a sufficient treatment for behavioral health concerns. Rather, prescription drugs should be used alongside counseling services. The combination of therapy and medication may help you work through your behavioral concerns and successfully live as a member of your community.
Another reason to stay in touch with your medical providers while on medication is that your prescriptions may need to be adjusted occasionally. Sometimes it takes a while to strike the right balance between results and side effects. It’s essential to maintain an open dialogue with your doctor about your medication experiences.
Contact LISH for Behavioral Health Services
Left untreated, behavioral health issues can reduce your quality of life. They may damage your important relationships and limit your ability to thrive in society.
You don’t have to sit back and let your behavioral health disorders wreak havoc. Instead, by partnering with LISH’s behavioral health services team, you can take control of your issues.
Through evaluation, therapy, and, if needed, medication, you can learn to adjust your thought patterns and behavior. In time, your outlook and your overall wellbeing may improve.
To get started, fill out our online contact form, or call the LISH central office at (631) 650-2510.
