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Description

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About Us
Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute SWVMHI is a 156bed state psychiatric institute operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services DBHDS The Institute serves adult and geriatric individuals

SWVMHIs campus located in rural Smyth County consists of over 40 maintained acres of land approximately 100 acres total with 24 buildings including its heating plant

Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute is accredited by The Joint Commission and is eligible to receive thirdparty payments including Medicare Medicaid and Champus

As part of Virginias public mental health system SWVMHI serves adult and geriatric persons from a number of cities and counties in southwestern Virginia The SWVMHI catchment area is primarily rural in nature and has a total population of 564464 people 1999 census figures The primarily rural nature of the catchment area affects a number and variety of issues that impact the Institute For example this region generally has the highest unemployment rate in the state In addition outside the larger towns there is no public transportation and it is difficult for the individuals to come to community clinics for treatment or rehabilitation Also of note is the relative scarcity of private providers or private psychiatric hospital beds

Adult Acute Treatment Unit The Adult Acute Treatment is a 60bed coed Medicare Certified Intensive Psychiatric Treatment Program that provides acute assessment crisis stabilization and comprehensive treatment to individuals who are age 18 to 64 Multiple treatment models are utilized with a recovery orientation pursuant to the unique needs of the individual Services are provided by a multidisciplinary team with a focus to quickly improve the persons condition for successful return to the community as soon as possible Staff coordinate closely with communitybased providers to ensure continuity of care following discharge

Geriatric Unit The 40bed coed Geriatric Unit is comprised of a 20bed Medicare Certified Intensive Psychiatric Treatment Program that provides acute assessment stabilization and comprehensive treatment and a 20bed Medicaid Certified Intermediate Treatment Program that provides psychiatric stabilization and comprehensive treatment on an extended basis The Program admits individuals who are aged 65 and over as well as those individuals under 65 whose needs are congruent with nursing facility level of care The Program operates from a biopsychosocial treatment model utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach to provide expert diagnostic and treatment of psychiatric conditions of the elderly Staff work closely with Medical Care Services to provide treatment for coexisting physical health conditions which frequently complicate psychiatric presentations with the elderly population

Extended Rehabilitation Unit This 50bed program provides services to individuals with severe and refractory mental illness complicated by behavioral disorders The program emphasizes self management and self care skills specific to this population Physical and social activities are used to stimulate individuals interest in their surroundings and self care This service also provides treatment and rehabilitation for a number of forensic patients The majority of facility NGRI not guilty by reason of insanity individuals are found on ERS wards

Medical Acute Care Unit The Infirmary is a 6bed coed MedicateMedicaid Certified Primary Care Area utilized for the care of individuals with physical health problems which cannot be treated in the other units yet do not require the level of care of a community hospital Services are closely coordinated with the Treatment Team in the unit where the person was residing prior to their admission to the Infirmary

Treatment Services Due to the diversity of persons who are admitted to SWVMHI evaluation treatment and rehabilitation services are individualized eclectic and reflect an approach which will best meet the treatment rehabilitation physical spiritual public safetyforensic and enrichment needs of each client We strive to enhance the individuals hope motivation and abilities so that they can function in their chosen environmental role The treatment and rehabilitation programs along with the unit environment at SWVMHI have the goal to maximize the persons potential to assume responsibility for their own progress and recovery Based on individualized assessments including psychiatric medical nursing psychological psychosocial dietary and rehabilitation assessments a treatment plan is developed and implemented to guide the recovery process A variety of treatment modalities are utilized to facilitate the persons involvement family andor significant others will be encouraged to participate in therapy whenever possible and appropriate

MISSION
We promote mental health in Southwestern Virginia by assisting people in their recovery

VISION
Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute in collaboration with Community Service Boards will always be the regions center of excellence in the treatment of serious mental illness

VALUES
SWVMHI is a valuesdriven organization Values are widely disseminated and drive the organization Valuebased discussions are an integral part of SWVMHI The importance of valuesbased decisionmaking can be seen in the following areas 1 proposal evaluations 2 values training 3 values retraining 4 broad dissemination of values 5 values behavioralization training or recognizing when the Values are at work 6 personnel evaluations and 7 hiring strategies

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History

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History
The first two patients were admitted to what was then called quotSouthwestern Lunatic Asylumquot on May 17 1887 By 1906 there were 507 patients treated at an annual operating cost of 7169396 Several improvements were made to the facility to alleviate over crowding In 1908 a tubercular building was erected and housed 50 patients In 1930 a 100bed building was erected known as the Harmon Building In 1935 a building for the criminally insane was added with an average annual population of 138 inmates Additionally twelve hundred acres were rented out for farming

By 1935 the facility became known as quotSouthwestern State Hospitalquot The average patient population had also grown to 1339 By 1964 there were 1493 patients staff numbered just 513 As deinstitutionalization took place the patient population decreased to 1266 in 1972 and by 1981 there were just 500 patients In 1986 demolition commenced on the original Henderson Complex and construction of Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute SWVMHI began

On March 9 1990 all adult and geriatric patients were moved into the new SWVMHI Sixteen adolescent beds remained in a separate building And even though the status of the facility changed from hospital to institute SWVMHI continued to serve as the primary hospital for patients requiring substance detoxification and as backup to Catawba Hospital and Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute for adult and geriatric patients

SWVMHI has formally housed forensic patients since around 1935 In the late 1960s the Finley Gayle Building was constructed for the criminally insane a secure building similar in construction to that of Central State Hospitals Forensic Unit In the early 1980s the population was divided and the Department of Corrections began receiving adjudicated patientsinmates and SWVMHI kept the patients who had not been adjudicated eg those in local jails awaiting trial those sent here for restoration of competency and those deemed quotnot guilty by reason of insanityquot or NGRI The Department of Corrections eventually took over the maintenance of the Finley Gayle building and it is now known as Marion Correctional Treatment Center