After weeks of intensive treatment, it’s completely understandable to want to go home and get back to your normal life. Preparing to leave residential care can bring on a mix of relief and uncertainty. You may be excited to be going home but unsure how you’ll manage without the structure you’ve grown used to.Â
It’s for this reason that supports are in place to help you make the transition smooth. There are several options for step-down mental health treatment in Minnesota. This stage of care and support eases you from intensive care back into daily life, at a pace that works for you.
This guide explains what step-down treatment looks like in Minnesota and the levels of care you might move through. It covers:
Step-down mental health treatment in Minnesota is the process of moving from the most intensive type of care toward more flexible support. It is designed to take place in stages.Â
Residential support offers you intensive, round-the-clock care, so when you leave, step-down ensures you have support in place. Each stage of step-down gives you more independence and less intensive care than the one before it.
Leaving residential treatment is a huge milestone, but it doesn’t mean the work is finished. Stepping down to another level of care lets you continue with the progress you’ve made, with the right amount of support at each stage.
After finishing residential treatment, you may be feeling a lot better than when you arrived. But the period right after leaving residential treatment is often a vulnerable one, even when things are going well.Â
Residential treatment included routine and structure, and provided care whenever it was needed. Returning home means picking some of that back up yourself, while still managing the mental health condition that led to treatment. It’s a big adjustment, and you can lose momentum if your support drops away too quickly.
Research shows that 30 to 50% of people discharged from psychiatric units miss their follow-up appointment, which is linked to relapse and to a higher chance of homelessness, suicide, and crime.[1] Staying connected during that period is important because it keeps support in place if unexpected difficulties come up. Stepping down doesn’t remove every challenge instantly, but it gives you a steadier footing while you find your feet again.
Minnesota’s community-based residential care is delivered through Intensive Residential Treatment Services (IRTS).[2] If you’ve just completed residential care, or are nearing the end, it’s important to know what is available to you after.
A partial hospitalization program (PHP) after residential care is the most intensive step-down. It’s a day program where you attend treatment for several hours and then return home each evening. Treatment usually takes place most days of the week. In Minnesota, the PHP is a recognized service that is delivered by a team under the direction of a physician.[3]
PHP also includes at least one session of individual, group, or family psychotherapy, along with two or more other services, like occupational therapy or patient education.[3]
PHP works well as a first step because it keeps much of the structure of residential care, while letting you return home and ease back into daily life. It suits someone who still needs a strong level of support but no longer needs care 24/7.
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) after residential care is a step lighter than PHP. It involves fewer hours and combines group and individual work.[4] This makes it a good fit for someone a bit further along in recovery who is able to manage more aspects of daily life independently.Â
In Minnesota, the main IOP offered through the community-based system is a specialized form called a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intensive Outpatient Program (DBT-IOP).[5] It’s derived from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and helps people manage intense emotions and reduce self-destructive behaviors.[5]
A DBT-IOP in Minnesota consists of weekly individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching, and holistic skills training, including mindfulness and emotion regulation.[5]
Minnesota also offers a set of community services that help you continue building your recovery at home. These are the types of support you’re able to lean on once the more intensive stages are complete. They’re delivered by mental health professionals, practitioners, rehabilitation specialists, and certified peer specialists, depending on what your plan calls for.[6]
The main type of support is called Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS), which helps build the everyday skills that support independent living.[6] This may include:[6]
To qualify for ARMHS services, you must be 18 or older and have a serious mental illness with a significant impairment in functioning.[6] ARMHS may also be provided at your home or in a community location, like a mental health program location.[6]
AMFM is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Stepping down after residential mental health treatment in Minnesota can be a busy period with a lot to work out before you leave. But you’re not expected to figure it out on your own. State rules require that you complete a discharge plan with your treatment team before you leave residential care, and that they arrange for you to continue care at a less intensive level.
In practice, this means your team helps put the next stage in place before you leave. A good transition plan usually covers a few key things:[7]
Having this plan worked out ahead of time takes much of the uncertainty out of leaving because you know what your first steps will look like.
Public services aren’t the only route to step-down care in Minnesota, and some private providers also offer these levels of care. Both routes can support a strong recovery and are regulated by similar standards, so it’s really a question of what suits you best.
One feature of private care is that a single provider can typically support you across the different stages. Moving from residential care to PHP, then IOP, within the same organization means you may benefit from continuity of care as your needs change. Many find that level of familiarity valuable, because there are fewer new faces to get used to at an already difficult time.
Private care can be worth considering for its location, what the treatment program offers, and because it may offer more personalized treatment.
Take a tour of our residential mental health facilities located in Minnesota. Our locations offer peace & comfort within a residential environment where you can relax and focus on yourself.
If you’re currently in residential treatment and trying to decide what comes next, resources are available to help you make that decision. While you may step down to a lower level of care, you may also consider continuing residential treatment at another location if you need more support.
At AMFM Mental Health Treatment (A Mission for Michael), we offer an intimate, focused mental health treatment experience for adults in home-like settings that are carefully maintained to be peaceful, comfortable spaces.
Our Minnesota locations accept insurance and are in-network with many major providers. To check your insurance coverage for mental health care, simply complete our confidential online verification form.
Call us at 866-478-4383 if you would like to start the admissions process or learn more about how we can support your mental well-being. Our compassionate team is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance with no obligation.
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In Minnesota, your county acts as the local mental health authority, so contacting them directly is a good place to start when arranging ongoing care. If you’re already within the public mental health system, this should already have been discussed with you before discharge from residential treatment.
The cost of step-down care in Minnesota will depend on where you receive the services and what insurance plan you have. The intention is that cost should not be a barrier to continuing mental health aftercare in Minnesota. These services are typically covered by Medical Assistance, the state’s Medicaid program, with no copays for members.[8] If you have private insurance, you’ll want to check your coverage for specific programs like PHP or IOP.
At AMFM, we strive to provide the most up-to-date and accurate medical information based on current best practices, evolving information, and our team’s approach to care. Our aim is that our readers can make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Our reviewers are credentialed medical providers specializing and practicing behavioral healthcare. We follow strict guidelines when fact-checking information and only use credible sources when citing statistics and medical information. Look for the medically reviewed badge on our articles for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate or out of date, please let us know at info@amfmhealthcare.com
