Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center - GBHWC | Formerly Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Prevention & Training Branch (PEACE)
Prevention & Training Branch (PEACE)

The Prevention and Training branch falls under GBHWC’s Division of Clinical Services. The branch provides training, technical assistance and educational opportunities for program managers, community leaders, and youth and adult volunteers on enhancing and promoting mental wellness to reduce and prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and other correlated problems.

The branch is also known to its stakeholders, partners and community members as PEACE office; PEACE stands for Prevention Education and Community Empowerment. To attain its vision of an island community empowered and committed to making healthy choices for themselves and others around them, the PEACE office identifies valuable key stakeholders within the community, and partners with them in planning and carrying out culturally relevant, community-involved prevention initiatives.

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Healing Hearts Crisis Center
Healing Hearts Crisis Center

Sexual Assault, be it rape or abuse, is a traumatic experience for an adult or child and calls for a very supportive and empathic response in order to begin healing. Our Healing Hearts Program begins with an intake assessment that often leads to a medical-legal examination in a safe, caring environment. The program staff coordinates all coopera¬tion with other agencies, counseling and follow-up health care, so the victim can begin healing without being overwhelmed.

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Child Adolescent Services Division (CASD)
Child Adolescent Services Division (CASD)

The Child Adolescent Services Division is one of the three Divisions within the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center. CASD includes I Famagu’on-ta Program, (the first System of Care site on island) and other System of Care federal grants adopting the Wraparound approach in service planning, service implementation and service delivery. This Division serves children with behavioral health conditions from ages 5 to 17. The grant funded program serve children with severe emotional/behavioral health conditions up to age 21, if in special education, have IEP (Individual Education Plan), and are still attending school.

I’ Famagu’on-ta being a part of GBHWC, access services such as Psychiatric, Child Inpatient Unit, Psychological, Healing Hearts, Drug and Alcohol treatment services, Prevention and Training, etc., from GBHWC.

I Famagu’on-ta also oversee the Latte Treatment Program, a residential facility for children and youth with 24 hr. psychiatric inpatient treatment, and operates a step-down home known as SERENITY (Successfully, Educating, Responsibility and Empowerment in a Nurturing environment, Individuals Transitioning from Youth home-care services to …home,…to a more permanent placement or to Independent Living).

The Social Workers, Care Coordinators are also known as Wrap Coordinators because one of their main functions is wrapping services around the child/youth in need and the family. They coordinate Wrap Team meetings, consisting of the minor, the family/natural supports and the agencies. They develop Wrap Plans or treatment plans addressing the needs, strengths of the child/youth/family and strategies to address the needs with the involvement and participation of the Wrap Team.

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Clinical Services- Community Support Services
Clinical Services- Community Support Services

A certain percentage of any community’s population has more long lasting, but very manageable thought disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective (combination thought and mood disorder) and bipolar disorders. Untreated, these conditions can lead to problems in concentration, mood and cause irrational thinking and behavior, but such conditions can be immediately assessed and effectively treated at our Center. Once stabilized with such services such as inpatient hospitalization, medication and counseling, our social workers continue to help such clients and their families to return to a healthy lifestyle in their community. Our social workers often do outreach, making home visits to assist clients who may have difficulty coming into the Center. Social Workers are the brokers who link consumers to other services.

Also under the umbrella of clinical services is the medical records branch. As the Health Information Management Center’s Record Custodian, HIPAA compliance officer, forms committee chairperson, they are tasked to engage in providing support to all clinicians, consumers, operational, and administrative professionals of the center. In, addition collaborates with local and federal government entities such as the criminal justice system, healthcare providers, U.S. Personnel, Social Security Administration, and others.

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Counseling Services
Counseling Services

The Center has qualified counselors for adults and children and offers individuals, family, couple, marriage, and group therapy for a wide spectrum of behavioral health issues. If depression, anxiety or other stress is affecting a person's social, marital, occupational or academic stability, our counselors can provide guidance to help smooth out these bumps in the road of life. Examples of groups are those addressing grief, sexual abuse, family violence and co-dependency.

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New Beginnings Drug & Alcohol Treatment
New Beginnings

Alcoholism is an age-old problem that tragically affects the lives of many adults and adolescents on our island. Most people are also aware that Guam now faces an epidemic of people using the drug Ice (crystal methamphetamine), a relatively new drug compared to others that are still being abused, such as heroin, cocaine, acid and marijuana. Inhaling bu¬tane, gasoline and other chemicals is also a rising problem among our youth. The majority of clients seeking services at GBHWC, either volun-tarily or referred by others require education and treatment for substance abuse. Following intake, consumers are assessed to determine the extent of their problems and may be referred to our New Beginnings Program or an outpatient group needed to begin a drug-free lifestyle.

Those clients who are found to be very dependent upon drugs and alcohol are placed in the sixteen weeks New Beginnings Intensive Outpatient Program for intensive therapy and education-lots of group sessions, continued care, and family involvement needed for a fresh start to a healthy lifestyle change. Outpatient groups are offered days and evenings for those cli¬ents who have problems with abuse, but still need to keep working or raising children for most of the day.

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Intake, Emergency Services & Crisis Hotline
Intake, Emergency Services & Crisis Hotline

Our door never closes. Those who need immediate help because of feeling overwhelmed, or feeling like harming themselves or others, and those who are concerned about them, can walk into the Center or call at any time. However, to avoid the possibility of waiting around, it is strongly recommended that you call before coming in or make an appointment if you can. An intake worker or other clinical staff will con¬duct an assessment to see how to best help the person in need.

Intake is the gateway to services and our workers can explain about our programs and are well informed about other related services in the government and private sectors. People are encouraged to call first for ap¬pointments or walk in during an emergency, and we also accept referrals from a wide range of other agencies and employers. Many people with everyday problems in their marriage, relationships, jobs, or with sub¬stance abuse problems can be helped by the services described below once they have received an intake assessment. For further information or an appointment call 647-5440/5325 from 8:00a.m. To 5:00p.m.

A personal problem needing guidance from others can occur at any time, thus the Center operates a 24-hour Crisis Hotline. Anyone can call with confidence and get advice on the next step they can take toward solving their problems.

The 24-Hour Crisis Hotline number is 647-8833

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Nursing Services
Nursing Services

Skilled nurses and psychiatric technicians provide inpatient care to adults and children with acute mental health symptoms and those with chronic behavioral issues. Nurses oversee: Licensed Practical Nurses, psychiatric technicians of Adult Inpatient and Children’s/ Adolescent Inpatient units, partial hospitalization, Medication Clinic, Psychiatric Community Outreach Nursing Service (PCONS), 24– hour Crisis Hotline, and After-hour Emergency Intakes. All nursing staff promotes quality health care, provide acute and chronic nursing services to individuals with mental illnesses, emotional stress, behavioral problems, and addictive behaviors.

Nursing staff also work with other disciplinary teams to provide holistic care for the consumers they serve, promote a safe and clean environment, strive for excellent quality of care, and enhance operations to meet increasing demands and complexities in a timely manner.

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Professional Support
Professional Support

Some individuals seeking our services have mental health problems that require the expertise of a physician. The Center has psychiatrists to evaluate those who may need medication or lab tests to determine if physical problems may be contributing to their emotional distress. Our doctors work with the other clinical staff to help develop the best course of treatment.

Professional Services are inpatient and outpatient services provided by psychiatrists and psychologists. These professionals provide a wide range of direct and consultation services to consumers on the AIU, CIU, Interdisciplinary Outpatient Teams, Day Treatment and Residential Group Homes. Psychiatrists complete psychiatric evaluations, medication treatment and management to address consumer’s behavioral and psychiatric concerns. Psychologists provide evaluation services to consumers in all settings.

Many people with common psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety or more serious conditions such as schizophrenia (thought disor¬der, inability to organize your thoughts or severe disorientation) or bipo-lar disorder (manic-depressive, drastic mood swings between hyperactiv¬ity and depression-an emotional roller coaster) are very effectively treated with a combination of modem medicines and counseling.

In cases where a person may be feeling like harming themselves or others or experiencing other severe symptoms of mental illness that need more intensive treatment, the Center provides acute care hospitalization in either our Adult or Children’s Inpatient Units.

Often temporary respite in a safe environment with around-the-clock care will speed up the recovery of a person who is overly distressed. We also have a Medication Clinic to provide outpatient follow-up that is needed.

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Residential Recovery Program
Residential Recovery Program

The Residential Recovery Program is to provide high quality habilitation and multi-disciplinary treatment services for GBHWC consumers with behavioral issues, cognitive, intellectual, substance abuse, and behavioral disabilities within a supportive living environment. The program services 365 days a year, with on-call staff available for contact on a 24-hour basis.

Based on the individual needs of the consumer in the Recovery Residential Program he or she will be provided adequate psychological and behavioral services and treatment.

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For Our Community

For Your Family & You

Message from the Director