THE AUSTEN RIGGS CENTER is a therapeutic community, open psychiatric hospital, and center for education and research, promoting resilience and self-direction in adults (18+) with complex psychiatric problems.
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Services Offered
Psychotherapy At the core of each patient's work at Riggs is intensive psychodynamic psychotherapy with a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist on staff. Patients and therapists meet four times a week (with the exception of holidays, vacations or illnesses), working together to understand the meanings of symptoms and the sources of suffering in the context of the patient's life.
Psychopharmacology All patients at the Austen Riggs Center have a comprehensive assessment by a psychiatrist during their six-week Initial Evaluation and Treatment phase, and most take psychotropic medications. Work with their psychiatrist throughout their stay is actively integrated with the multidisciplinary treatment team and Riggs' medical office, guided by current standards of care, and enhanced by peer review as well as consultation with outside experts when necessary.
Psychological Testing Psychological testing during the initial six-week evaluation and treatment period provides an in-depth assessment used to inform treatment. Using both personality and cognitive tests, psychologists aim to describe patients' experiences, outline their characteristic ways of thinking and feeling, and understand the ways they try to manage what troubles them. Patients who stay a year or more may be re-tested with a focus on evidence of change. We also offer more extensive neuropsychological assessment as needed.
Clinical Casework People who seek treatment at the Austen Riggs Center have often experienced difficulties creating a satisfying life - in school, work, or other activities. Clinical social workers offer casework to help patients learn about barriers to greater independence, identify personally meaningful goals, and develop strengths they can draw upon in the future. Respectful of individual choices, we work with patients to develop a plan to leave Riggs better equipped to engage in life.
Family Work Active family participation can often play a crucial role in patients taking charge of their own lives. Regardless of their level of involvement, the work of treatment can be challenging for family members as well as for patients. At Riggs, a clinical social worker is available to support patients and their families, working to facilitate honest and direct communication, to understand their shared history, to improve current relationships, and to prepare for future challenges.
Therapeutic Community Program The Therapeutic Community Program includes an interconnected series of groups aimed at enhancing patient authority, fostering interpersonal learning, and creating an environment that supports treatment. We engage in a process of "examined living," characterized by learning through public reflection (by staff and patients) on the meaning of behaviors, choices, and interactions. Substance Abuse Services Many people who come to the Austen Riggs Center have struggled with substance use in the past. Because of the depth and intensity of the work that takes place here, we ask that patients achieve a sustained period of abstinence prior to admission. Our substance abuse services acknowledge that maintaining sobriety requires a network of support. Upon admission, certified substance abuse counselors provide an initial assessment and offer ongoing individual support. They help patients support each other by facilitating a weekly substance abuse group and by connecting interested patients to self-help groups in our local community. Activities Program Activities Program based on the principle that "…art, crafts, drama, intellectual pursuits, involvement in the nursery school or greenhouse program are productive for personal growth and development in any individual. These activities … promote change in a positive direction, support competence, and enhance the dignity and identity of the person involved." Health and Wellness Program The Health and Wellness Program at the Austen Riggs Center provides our patients with avenues for improving their physical health, and for reducing stress. We offer opportunities to enhance health and wellbeing in a variety of ways including
support in developing personal health goals; health education; classes that may include yoga, Qigong, and strength training; personal fitness training; guided meditation; daily walks; and nutritional education and counseling.
Fees and Payment
Depending on the program a patient is admitted to, the cost of the total six-week evaluation and treatment ranges from $58,200 - $62,200*, which includes an admission consultation fee of $1,500. A payment of $45,000 (applied to the cost of treatment) is required on the day of admission regardless of your health insurance coverage and/or benefits.
Fees are all-inclusive and range from $350 to $1,445 per day based on program and intensity of services. The average cost per day for patients who remain in treatment for a few months is $800 per day.
This is a nonprofit organization.
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale Medicare Medicaid
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A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.
