Primary Mental Health Program (PMH): AAC

River Oaks Mental Health Services: A Center for Healing & Wellness is a 16-bed residential treatment facility that will be equipped to help people with a variety of mental health concerns. The goal of this PMH program is to stabilize the patient’s condition and help them develop the necessary skills to manage their illness, improve daily functioning, and prevent them from experiencing future crises.

Patients in the program will benefit from 24/7 care in a structured group treatment setting with intensive staff supervision, support, and assistance. Treatment at River Oaks Mental Health Services: A Center for Healing & Wellness is individualized, meaning each patient will have a unique treatment plan based on their needs. Staff will perform weekly check-ins to monitor each patient’s progress and make adjustments when necessary.

The River Oaks PMH program is equipped to provide a host of different services, including:

• Behavioral therapy, in both individual and group sessions. Sessions focus on various topics such as coping skills, emotion regulation, interpersonal relationships, goals, and personal issues.
• Medication management. Psychiatric medications are administered and adjusted under psychiatrist supervision.
• Psychiatric rehabilitation. Patients participate in skill-building activities that promote independence as and community integration.
• Supportive services. This includes case management, in which staff will help patients obtain resources and coordinate treatment, as well as peer support and family education.
• Safety and crisis management. Treatment staff is trained in de-escalation and intervention techniques and equipped to assist in emergency or crisis situations if they occur while the patient is enrolled in the program.*
• Aftercare planning. River Oaks PMH will coordinate with other outpatient providers, (e.g. primary care physicians, managed care organizations, or care advocates through insurance carriers) to provide continued care after patients are discharged.

Staff at River Oaks Mental Health Services: A Center for Healing & Wellness implement various therapeutic techniques to help patients struggling with mental illness. This includes:

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training. DBT helps people who have difficulty managing emotions by teaching skills and strategies to either accept situations or empower them to take action to change them. Skills taught in DBT include mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
• Seeking Safety. This form of therapy is often used to help patients dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other lasting effects of trauma. The 4 principles of Seeking Safety include establishing safety as the foundation, coping with triggers (identifying and managing trauma-related triggers), practicing grounding techniques (i.e., utilizing sensory-based exercises to stay present), and cognitive restructuring (identifying and altering negative thought patterns and beliefs).
• Holistic wellness. Guided yoga and meditation, as well as art and expressive therapies are offered in conjunction with evidence-based approaches to help patients learn healthy ways of expressing themselves and processing their emotions. Patients will also learn the importance of proper nutrition and exercise, and receive help developing healthy sleep and self-nurturing habits.
• Family and Support System Involvement: When appropriate, patients and their family members may take part in family therapy, support system education, and communication skills training.

River Oaks Mental Health Services: A Center for Healing & Wellness accepts patients on weekdays during the hours in which leadership staff is on-hand.

Patients that are eligible for the AAC PMH Program include adults who:

• Have a primary mental health diagnosis that does not require acute inpatient treatment.
• Enter the program voluntarily.
• Do not suffer from substance use disorder, or have a mild to moderate substance use disorder that is currently under control.
• Are not currently under crisis. Recent crises such as attempted suicide must be stabilized before entering the facility.

Patients that wish to enroll in the program will first undergo a pre-assessment conducted by nursing staff, which will then be reviewed by leadership prior to admission. Upon enrollment in the facility, staff will perform a more comprehensive assessment to determine their needs and to outline a treatment plan. This may include a physical evaluation (if one has not been performed within the past 30 days) and a psychiatric evaluation within 48 hours of admission.

Treatment plans and scheduling may vary depending on each patient’s needs. The following is what a typical daily schedule may look like:

• 7-8 a.m. Medication administration
• 8-8:30 a.m. Breakfast
• 8:30-9 a.m. Daily check-ins, and mindfulness exercises
• 9-10:15 a.m. Therapeutic group sessions or skill-building workshops
• 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Recreational activities followed by a shower/hygiene break
• 12:30-1:15 p.m. Peer support groups, individual therapy, or family therapy sessions.
• 1:15 – 1:45 p.m. Lunch
• 1:45-3:00 p.m. Art and expressive therapy or group sessions
• 3:00-4:30 p.m. Case management and life-skills training
• 4:30-6:00 p.m. Free time or therapy homework
• 6:30-7 p.m. Dinner
• 7-9 p.m. Evening activities.
• 9:30 p.m. Lights out.

River Oaks, AAC’s Tampa, FL facility will be opening a 16-bed residential treatment facility called River Oaks Mental Health Services: A Center for Healing & Wellness.

River Oaks Mental Health Services: A Center for Healing & Wellness accepts coverage from many major health insurance plans. Some plans may require obtaining prior authorization before enrollment and the extent of coverage may vary.

Admissions navigators at can answer questions and assist you through the admissions process. You can also verify your insurance coverage online using the confidential form below.