title: Innovative Strength-Based Care in Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry.
abstract: Child and adolescent psychiatric units serve the highest risk, most vulnerable populations in the mental health delivery system. This article describes the integration of a strength-based approach with a traditional, medical model of psychiatric care on an acute inpatient unit. A strength-based framework allows for increased focus on exploring patients' goals, strengths, relationships, skills, and family communication within the hospital setting.
  
  
  
  The process of integration of strength-based care is described, followed by discussion of the implementation and evaluation of interventions, including mindfulness, family movie, narrative, and animal-assisted therapies.
  
  
  
  Innovative interventions led to improvement in patient symptoms, unit culture, and patient, family, and staff satisfaction.
  
  
  
  A strong emphasis on strength-based, multidisciplinary treatment has enhanced patient care, as the goals of acute inpatient admission are broadened to include more than diagnosis and medication management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York. deanna_sams@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Deanna P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Sams
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garrison
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital
keywords: Adolescent; inpatient; strength-based care