The Dealing with Pain (IOP) Program
The Pain Program (IOP) is a seven-week cognitive multi-modal therapeutic program designed to achieve and maintain stability with severe and persistent pain. The program is a fully integrated medical-behavioral health continuum-of-care and a family education/support center of excellence.
The Program is open to clients 18 years and older, including seniors. Payment for services is Out-of-Network for most insurance companies.
The Pain Program is accredited by The Joint Commission and has received a 4th Year Resident Rotation with a Major Teaching Medical Hospital (Department of Psychiatry).
The Program is sponsored by Bright Path Program GPS and is overseen by a physician.
The program addresses pain awareness and management [includes Physical, Spiritual, Relationship and Family ‘WELLNESS’].
Additional support includes individual therapy, family support, psycho-educational therapy, medication management and vocational adjunct support. Also available is PT and OT (reimbursed through Medicare and most insurance companies).
In addition to providing a state-of-the-art Pain Program (outcome driven and documented), the Bright Path Pain Program (www.brightpathprogram.com) incorporates a Physical Wellness garden at select locations. The following except from The Wellness Garden (author Shawna Coronado) summarizes the benefits of a physical wellness garden for pain and depression:
Shawna changed her lifestyle associated with degenerative osteoarthritis by incorporating better nutrition through an anti-inflammatory diet, while at the same time gardening and exercising in ways that were proactive to her condition. This program, according to Shawna, was life-altering for her on an intimate, emotional and physical level.
The transition began with gardening, but also included diet and exercise. Based on this positive change in her life, Shawna wanted to inspire others to find relief from inflammation-generated chronic pain.
As Shawna so rightly puts it, “Reducing symptoms such as chronic pain, depression and weight gain associated with conditions like arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, fibromyalgia, heart disease and many other types of maladies without heavy medications is possible with smart diet, exercise and lifestyle changes”.
With the help of a nutritionist and doctors, debilitating pain can be overcome by changing your lifestyle to incorporate better nutrition and exercise. Gardening, fresh air and sunlight is a key component that also provides a central focus to help with recovery.
Therapeutic Gardening
Outdoor green activities can reduce anxiety and depression.
Young Adult Programs
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Intensive Out-Patient Program (IOP)
Adjunct Therapies and Activities
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Mature Adults/Seniors Programming
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Senior Cognitive Behavior Program
Senior Day Programming (One-Half Day)
Adjunct Therapies and Activities
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Accreditation
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Benefits of the Joint Commission
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Incorporating Yoga & Exercise in the Garden
Exercising in the garden and outdoor green space reduce stress on the body and increases health and wellness. In addition, walking, yoga and joint stretching techniques also help with recovery.
Treatment
Treatment is individualized and encompasses the following components of awareness and management:
- Physical Wellness;
- Mental Wellness;
- Spiritual Wellness; and
- Family Wellness.
Additional interventions and support can include:
- Individual therapy;
- Family support;
- Psycho-educational therapy;
- Medication management; and
- Vocational adjunct support.
Length of Program
The ‘Dealing with Pain’ IOP Program meets ‘up to’ four days per week for three-hour sessions (participants initially attend four days per week with treatment modification allowed by participant and treatment team to no less than three sessions per week).
Who Oversees the Program?
The program is overseen by Counselors, Licensed Therapists and Medical Doctors.
Admissions
Admission into the program is:
- Clinically based, and
- Determined by the Medical Director and Program Director.
Each participant will have two assessments:
- Medical; and
- Psychiatric.
Admission criteria includes the following variables:
- Demonstrated symptomology consistent with DSM-V (Multiaxial system) diagnosis with reasonable expectation to respond to therapeutic intervention;
- Chronic pain history;
- Motivated to attend and capable of participation in all phases of the program;
- Non-active suicidal or homicidal thinking or recent behavior (i.e., suicidal gesture within past four weeks);
- Personality disordered individual’s ‘may be’ invited to participate ‘if’ the Medical Director and Program Director agree;
- Actively engaged in out-patient care with medical/mental health professional/agency;
- World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS 2.0) six domain measurement scores (cognition, mobility, self-care, getting along, life activities, and participation);
- Medically stable; and
- Medication compliant.
Exclusion Factors for Admission
- Individual is a danger to self or others;
- Medical Impairment; and
- Structure/Supervision beyond the Scope of the Program.
Family Involvement
The Dealing with Pain Program provides education and support to families so they may better understand the client’s unique “pain management” and cognitive functioning.
Family/caretakers are included in the treatment plan and are provided (with client’s permission) a documented treatment plan with weekly audits and adjustments.
“As-Is” – ‘Continued Stay’
To remain in the program, participants sign a “participation” agreement that addresses the following criteria:
Program Participation and Compliance, as well as Progress in relation to Specific Symptoms or Impairment that is Clearly Evident.
The ‘Dealing with Pain’ IOP curriculum components have been developed based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Theoretical Construct) and include the following:
- Daily Goal Preparation Notes;
- Mindfulness;
- Cognitive Therapy (CBT);
- Behavioral Analysis;
- Interpersonal Effectiveness;
- Emotional Regulation;
- Distress Tolerance;
- Daily Planning;
- Discharge Planning; and
- Coping/Crisis.
Graduation
Upon graduation, graduates will have an individualized detailed self-workbook that identifies unique thinking patterns and mindfulness tools that will provide reinforcement tools learned over the course of the program.
Participants who complete the program will seamlessly transition to community support services (i.e.; psychiatrists, psychotherapist, etc.).
The participant will have his/her program individualized notebook that will have identified the individuals thinking patterns and will have identified and given opportunities to practice mindfulness tools to better cope and deal with life’s events. Community therapists, along with the participants, may use the participant’s notebook as a ‘road map’ to continue to move forward toward better and more fulfilling functioning.
The Benefits and Goals
Pain rehabilitation programs have the following goals:
- To reduce pain;
- To allow clients to return to work or other meaningful activity;
- Overcome behavioral issues that are a result of living with pain (anxiety, irritability, depression, sleep disturbance and stressful relationships);
- Reduce reliance on the use of pain medications; and
- Improve reliance on the healthcare system at large.
The Bright Path Program focuses on what the client can do to help manage chronic pain. This allows the client to take control of the process by utilizing different modalities (yoga, acupuncture and changes in nutritional choices, etc.) that help the client regain control and learn how to live a normal life despite chronic pain.
In essence, managing chronic pain is directed toward self-management — making healthy lifestyle changes and increasing the ability to cope with the condition (reducing the condition to a minor rather than major issue in life).
Managing chronic pain includes the following major adjustments for everyday living:
- Implementing lifestyle changes that reduce pain over time; and
- Increasing the ability to cope with the pain that remains.
Chronic pain rehabilitation has the following add-on modalities wrapped around the programming:
- Physical Therapy (Intramuscular Physical Therapist);
- Stretching and core strengthening (including Yoga);
- Neuro-Muscular Massage;
- Acupuncture;
- Mild, low impact aerobic exercises;
- Pool Therapy;
- Relaxation Therapies;
- Coping Skills training;
- Individual Psychotherapy;
- Individualized Non-Narcotic Medication Management;
- Individualized Tapering of Narcotic Pain Medications, as needed; and
- Life/work Exposure Therapy.
Call
(404) 200-1925
(404) 786-4440