Acute Care | Medication Clinic | Pharmacy | Medication Management | Children’s Inpatient Unit | Adult Inpatient Unit | Healing Hearts Crisis Center (Sexual Assault) | Acute Emergency Intake
DMHSA is the only organization that provides inpatient services for adults with a serious mental illness. It is the department’s common practice to minimize a person’s stay in the Adult Inpatient Unit within an appropriate time frame. The decrease in hospitalization may be attributed to an increase in outpatient services, such as in case management, counseling and outreach. Although there are no definitive causes for the decline in inpatient admissions, DMHSA and the island community continually seek to improve community-based services and as well as increasing educating the community on mental health issues.
Provides comprehensive clinical services for the groups and patients that are chronic and severely mentally ill, those who less severe who are without resources to care for their mental condition, and individuals who experience acute emergencies and /or crisis. It also assess the priorities of individuals who may need or have been referred to psychiatric care, and provides integration with departmental programs and services to better meet their needs and assure continuum of care.
Provides the interpretation, filling, compounding and dispensing of controlled and non-controlled drugs and medications as prescribed by psychiatrist for the treatment of clients diagnosed with an array of mental illness and mental disorders.
Provides daily accessibility for clients to their medication treatment thereby preventing relapse, re-hospitalization, and deterioration of mental status. Provides supportive placement in the community environment and promotes continued activities of daily living skills.
Hospitalization (24) twenty-four hour unit that provides comprehensive acute treatment for children age 4-12 years old and adolescents age 13-18 years old who are physically abused, suicidal, experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual abuse and/or molestation.
Hospitalization unit provides acute inpatient care to individuals who experience episodes of psychosis, who may pose danger to themselves or a threat to others, who become gravely disabled due to change in mental status, individuals who are diagnosed with co-occurring disorders such as mental illness and mental retardation, and those who have been adjudicated by the courts as not guilty by reason of insanity. The current inpatient unit operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
There are two components to the services that Healing Hearts Crisis Center offers:
647-5351/8833 is a crisis hotline for all survivors of sexual assault no matter when the assault occurred. If a survivor finds that he or she is facing issues relating to the assault, phone lines are manned 24 hours a day by staff that is willing to help or to listen if the survivor needs to talk.
Advocacy
All Healing Hearts staff are trained and are each sensitive to the wide range of emotions and circumstances that can occur in a sexual assault. The advocate’s role is to be there for the survivor and to provide crisis intervention and support to the survivor.
ReferralsHealing Hearts Crisis Center offers crisis intervention, case management and makes referrals for counseling services, legal assistance and temporary shelter. The social worker reviews medical-legal charts and department charts with the medical consultant to determine the appropriate services for survivors of sexual assault.
Specially Trained ExaminersA registered nurse and medical doctors have been trained to perform forensic evidentiary exams as it pertains to sexual assault survivors. The role of the examiners is to remain neutral and objective, but to care for the survivor with sensitivity. These examiners fully understand the important role they play in not only the criminal justice aspect of the sexual assault case, but in the healing and emotional well being of a survivor. These examiners are certified and qualified to perform medical-legal examinations. A specially equipped examination room allows the sexual assault patient to undergo the medical-legal examination in a separate, private, calming environment away from the crisis setting of the hospital emergency room.
Multidisciplinary Team Interview (M.D.T.I.)
Healing Hearts Crisis Center works in collaboration with different agencies by providing a location conducive to interviewing the victim on a one-time basis to avoid repetitive separate inter-agency interviews.
Education and public awareness are the best ways to helping the women, children and men who have survived sexual assault. Healing Hearts is involved with outreach programs in all grade levels in the public and private schools and the community at large to educate on personal body safety for oneself and others. To schedule a presentation in your school or workplace, call 647-5351 during normal business hours.
Hours of OperationHealing Hearts business hours are Monday through Friday from 8a.m. to 5 p.m.
| Healing Hearts Crisis Center Email | Leticia.Piper@mail.dmhsa.guam.gov |
| Location | Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse-2nd floor |
| Physical Address | Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse 790 Governor Carlos G, Camacho Road Tamuning, Guam 96913 |
| Contact Number | 647-5351/8833 |
Laws & Regulations
Public law 21-44(1992), created the Rape Crisis Center as a program with financial oversight by the Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse. In order to portray a more sensitive approach with concern for the various clientele, the Rape Crisis Center has become known as the Healing Hearts Crisis Center. The name change was made official by the public law in December 1994.
Mission StatementHealing Hearts Crisis Center incorporates a holistic approach for the survivor of sexual assault. Regardless of when the assault occurred or the age, race or sex of the survivor, Healing Hearts offers a supportive, healing atmosphere with caring people to assist them in regaining feelings of safety, control, trust, autonomy and self esteem.
Is to provide initial crisis and management of crisis situations such as suicidal or homicidal thoughts, and wide range of personal and family problems. This is done through intake/emergency workers who conduct a screening interview including mental status examination (Psychiatric assessment) on any individual seeking health care services from the department. Nursing service division administers this program after regular outpatient clinic hours of operations and on holidays.