What you need to know
The new treatment center, located at 605 Holderrieth Blvd., Tomball, is the first mental health facility for HCA in the north Houston area.
“It's a big need in not just Tomball but throughout Texas,” said Alaina Zink, director of behavioral health care for HCA Houston Healthcare. “We're on the cutting edge of being able to support community members and getting them mental health care.”
The new facility will provide a combination of outpatient and partial hospitalization programs directed to adult and senior patients.
The breakdown
Zink said the facility will focus on providing group therapy treatments and provide free assessments for potential patients. A patient will then either be placed on a daily three-hour group therapy schedule or a partial hospitalization for five days on a weekly basis.
The group therapy treatment process includes:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Psychoeducation
- Sleep assessments
- Interpersonal skill building
- Medication management
“They're not a danger to themselves or anyone else, but they need a lot of help,” HCA therapist Lynn Stevens said. “Sometimes they've even been turned away from hospitals because they aren't suicidal, so we want to be there for them as well.”
What’s next?
While the facility only offers mental health treatment for adults, Stevens said they are looking forward to expanding the program to include children as well. However, the next step will be creating a full hospitalization process for patients and increasing face-to-face time with licensed therapists.
“Virtual programs have their place," Stevens said. "However, a face-to-face program enables us to really connect with people and for them to connect with us. It's very easy to not log on or not have your camera on, but when you're actually sitting a couple of feet from someone, and they're really talking to you, then they can see you care.”
