Sentiens is licensed as a Day Hospital by the Department of Health Western Australia. Day hospital services provide an alternative or complementary service to inpatient psychiatric care. Some private health benefits are provided for these expanding services.
We also provide out-patient mental health services which may be with a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or occupational therapist. We are in close consultation with Health Benefits Organisations and the State Government to expand our day programs so that we can provide a comprehensive multi-disciplinary mental health care service.
Why day treatment?
In many cases, day treatment suits people better than being hospitalised over night. There are also many financial benefits to day treatment. There has been an international movement towards providing high quality mental health care through day services.
What is day treatment?
A traditional 'hospital' is where a patient will usually stay over night as an 'inpatient'. These hospitals will often also provide day treatment services to 'out-patients'. Day treatments occur within a given day, although a course of treatment may still continue for several days. This helps to reduce the costs associated will sleeping at the hospital facility.
What is an out-patient service?
Outpatient services are provided to people at health centres, clinics or hospitals on the basis that there is no hospital admission. The Medicare Benefits Schedule provides funding for many outpatient services so there are rebates available for services provided to patients.
Which service is right for me?
The main options for mental health treatments are:
- Outpatient consulting
- Day treatment
- Inpatient treatment
The starting point for all of these services is the General Practitioner. There are a number of options that the GP may provide. The GP may choose to conduct a brief mental health assessment and prescribe a medication and/or then refer you to see a specialist for further assessment and/or management.
Outpatient consulting provides a number of good options. To claim the maximum Medicare Benefit for mental health services, the GP must prepare a Mental Health Plan. This allows for up to 12 individual and 12 group sessions with an allied health professional. A GP or a Psychiatrist can refer to allied health/mental health professionals for the total 24 sessions.
What groups do we offer?
Health Behaviour Change
Aim: One of the major aims of this group is to encourage clients to explore factors that impact on their own wellness and to increase awareness and empowerment to make positive lifestyle changes. The health behaviour change group is based on promoting clients’ health in a more general lifestyle sense, acknowledging the physical aspects of mental illness.
What does the group consist of: The program looks at defining health and wellness as well as factors that influence current and future wellness. Additionally we are using motivational interviewing strategies to look at stages of behavioural change. This will cover diet and exercise as well as coffee, tobacco and alcohol consumption.
Expected outcomes: Participants will gain knowledge and understanding around health behaviour and decision making. Promote exercise and dietary improvement as well as general reflection on personal health.
Who is the group suitable for: Clients who have health risk factors and have needs around behaviour change and the skills to make it happen.
Social & Occupational Skills
Aim: The group aims to enhance quality of life and psychological well-being through ‘doing’.
What does the group consist of: This group is largely based on the Occupational Behavior Model- a holistic model that emphasizes the need for occupational balance, and the use of activity to promote mastery and adaptation. The program will allow a therapeutic space for clients to engage in meaningful leisure activities, promoting social interaction and self-expression. Leisure is an important aspect of life, driven by internal motivation and freedom of choice, which can often be disrupted when an individual experiences mental illness.
Expected outcomes: Opportunity for social interaction and self-expression. Distraction from negative thoughts and feelings.
Who is the group suitable for: Clients who are not yet ready to explore their own psychological processes. Clients desiring social contact within a safe and contained environment.
Creative Therapy
Aim: The aim is to experience a sense of pleasure, social connection, strengthening of identity, distraction from negative influences, and to promoting self care and self soothing through the use of creative media.
What does the group consist of: This is a relaxed and flexible group in which people can rediscover past craft interests or learn new crafts. The group is based on research highlighting the importance of meaningful activity in people’s recovery process.
Expected outcomes: Increased social confidence and feelings of connectedness with others. Opportunity for self-expression, and experience of mastery and achievement. Distraction from negative thoughts and feelings.
Who is the group suitable for: All clients with an interest or willingness to engage in craft activities.
Stress Management
Aim: This structured skills based group recognises the importance of managing stress both along the road to recovery as well as maintaining wellness.
What does the group consist of: The group includes an educational component exploring triggers for stress and common symptoms as well as more practical strategies for reducing stress including formal relaxation techniques, overcoming procrastination, time-management and goal setting. Stress management group draws from theory and research relating to effective stress reduction including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Expected outcomes: The group will enhance individuals understanding of stress, common symptoms of stress as well as internal and external triggers of stress. When applied consistently the skills and strategies covered in the group will assist individuals in reducing their levels of stress and / or anxiety and help them achieve lifestyle balance and maintain wellness.
Who is the group suitable for: The group is suitable for those individuals who would to like to enhance their ability to manage stress and/or anxiety and achieve lifestyle balance and reduce their vulnerability to future relapses in their mental health condition.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Aim: This structured skills based group focuses upon managing mood and emotion through looking at patterns of thinking and behaviour.
What does the group consist of: The group includes an educational component exploring common symptoms of anxiety and depression and how such can impact upon our thinking and behaviour. The group also teaches evidence based skills and strategies for managing emotions including identifying and labelling emotions, being aware of triggers of emotions as well as the common negative thinking traps and get out of these traps and think in a more balanced and realistic manner.
Expected outcomes: The group empowers the individual with the knowledge and skills to strengthen their ability to manage the day to day difficulties associated with depression, anxiety and stress. When applied consistently the skills and strategies covered in the group will assist the individual to understand their illness and its symptoms, increase motivation, activity and mood and reduce negative thinking.
Who is the group suitable for: The group is suitable for those individuals with symptoms of Depression, Anxiety or Stress.
Recovery & Self Management
Aim: To build hope, social connection, meaning, and to empower.
What does the group consist of: This group is largely a support group where people can share experiences and learn from others experiences. There is also an educational component to the group which focuses on exploring common useful strategies to promote wellness. The wellness group draws from theory and research out of the recovery model.
Expected outcomes: For people to gain an understanding of common themes in the recovery process along with a sense of; where they have come from, where they are, and where they are going, in their recovery journey. For people to form connections with others who share similar experiences and through this feel validated and accepted.
Who is the group suitable for: People who are experiencing symptoms of mental illness and would like to understand the process of recovery while forming connections with others.
Mindfulness
Aim: For people to experience moments of peace, reconnect their mind and body and gain insight into their ability to manage reactions to thoughts and emotions.
What does the group consist of: This is a practical group in which meditation techniques, body/somatic techniques, self soothing strategies, and skills to manage emotions and tolerate distress, are taught and practiced. Parts of the group are based on DBT principles.
Expected outcomes: To understand how emotions and thoughts influence the mind and body. To understand our bodies better and gain a sense of control over responses to emotions and thoughts. To be able to ground yourself in present moments. To increase your ‘tool box’ of activities to use to sooth yourself in distressing moments.
Who is the group suitable for: Those who would like to learn practical skills that can assist with managing reactions to thoughts and emotions. Be prepared to lay on mats, please wear comfortable clothing.
Self Esteem
Aim: For people to increase their view of themselves as worthy and deserving of happiness and competent to cope with challenges in life.
What does the group consist of: This is a skills teaching group which assists people to establish accurate self reflections, develop assertiveness, gain a sense of life direction and self responsibility, and manage perfectionism, mistakes and criticism. Self Esteem Group is based on Interpersonal Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
Expected outcomes: To form a more balanced and accurate self reflection, to gain tools to combat negative thinking and increase effective communication, to prioritise personal values, and create realistic, motivating goals.
Who is the group suitable for: People who want to increase their self esteem and feel ready to challenge their self reflections and learn concepts and skills related to this.
