Adult Mental Health
Behavioral Health Services
The Guidance Center offers a variety of services to adults aged 18 and over. Our highly trained, caring team of therapists and care managers are available to help with your behavioral health needs. As an enrolled member, you have the opportunity to work with your team to develop a tailored plan to set and achieve your behavioral health goals. Some of the goals that might be on a plan include counseling to improve mood, change behavior, and improve relationships with others. Case management to help with skills training and coordination of services might also be included. This is all measured based on where you start and where you would like to end up. These plans are updated every year or more frequently if necessary, as goals are met and needs change.
General Mental Health
According to the World Health Organization, mental health is defined as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”
Sometimes a person may need help getting back on track with coping skills, getting back to productive work, or being able to reach one’s own potential. You might be going through a difficult patch in life, and just need a little extra support to get you to the other side. Or you may have been struggling with your mental health for a long time and just did not know where to go or who to talk to. Or maybe you were nervous about what people would say. Our general mental health team is here to support you. You can participate in individual sessions as well as any of a variety of therapy and skills groups.
We are equipped to help with a variety of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD and more. By using evidence-based practices, we are able to effectively assist you to make progress toward your treatment goals. Some of the techniques and therapies used include:
- Relaxation training
- Mindfulness exercises
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
- ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
Serious Mental Illness
Serious Mental Illness (SMI) refers to an official diagnosis based on specific criteria. The basics of an SMI diagnosis require a person to be age 17.5 or older and have a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that results in substantial impairment or limitation in major life activities. These activities include maintaining employment, interpersonal relationships, self-care, and activities of daily living, among others. The Guidance Center can help in the process of determining a diagnosis of Serious Mental Illness. We also provide specialized services to individuals who are SMI designated such as the assertive community treatment team and dialectical behavioral therapy groups.
Our SMI team consists of a highly motivated group of Care Managers, Therapists, Peer Support Specialists, and Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists, who genuinely care about their clients.
Assertive Community Treatment
An integral part of the SMI Team is the ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) Team. ACT provides intensive wrap-around treatment for those who do not benefit from traditional outpatient services. The team works with members who have difficulties in areas of life such as work, social relationships, residential independence, money management, and physical health and wellness and focuses on serving individuals with co-occurring diagnoses including medical and substance abuse comorbidity.
The team literally “meets the client where they are,” in the community and provides services in the way that most supports the members treatment.
The ACT team consists of a registered nurse who works closely with the medical staff for effective client care, a therapist, a care manager, vocation specialist and peers who work with the client on a wide range of skills.”
Adult Groups
The SMI and the General Mental Health teams facilitate several groups that all TGC members are welcome to attend. Each group is facilitated by a team member who specializes in the purpose/topic of their specific group. You can view an updated group schedule on our campus.
Group topics include:
- WRAP (Wellness-Recovery-Action-Plan)
- Meditation
- Expressions (Art & Writing) groups
- Substance Abuse Co-Occurring groups
- DBT groups
- Exercise
- Skills groups
The SMI Team has implemented a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Program that includes the DBT Skills Groups and therapists utilizing the DBT approach. The group is facilitated by a staff member who has participated in a two year intensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. This training was taught by the Dr. Marsha Linehan Behavioral Tech Team from Seattle, WA. DBT is an evidenced based treatment for teaching skills to improve emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. This group is open to all enrolled clients who want to learn skills “to make their lives worth living.”
Peer Support
Peer support services are an essential part of the treatment team. Peer Support Specialists are people who have been members and have experienced mental illness and/or abuse of substances. They know what it’s like. They can empathize and help others to successfully navigate their recovery.
In order to become a Peer Support Specialist, a person is required to successfully complete Peer Support Training. Peer Support Training (PST) at the Guidance Center is a 48 hour curriculum offered periodically throughout the year.
PST covers many topics, including Hope and Recovery, Advocacy, Psychiatric Rehabilitation, and Professional Responsibilities. Those completing this training will be certified as a Peer Support Specialist in the State of Arizona. Completing the training does NOT guarantee employment.
Think you’re ready for the next step in your recovery? Do you feel you can benefit others through your experience? Just want to know more?
Contact our Vocational Coordinator, at 928-527-1899 x 5249 or the Peer Support Training Coordinator at x6401.
