Regions Behavioral Hospital

awareness about mental health conditions has led to more people acknowledging their own challenges. That has resulted in an uptick in patients struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as anxiety and depression.

Many Regions patients approach the center on their own, while some arrive after going to a local emergency room if they experience suicidal thoughts or another type of mental health crisis.

“I’ve heard many times from people who have gone to treatment centers and say their experience was traumatic. We never want people to feel that way about coming here,” Dr. Khan said. “Our focus is on getting people compassionate and appropriate care at an appropriate level.”

The care at Regions is provided by a team of about 100 people whose commitment is focused on getting people the right treatment. During COVID, the staff began triaging patients upon entry to determine the best care, a practice that continues today. Although Regions wants to help as many people as it can, Dr. Khan said it is also open to referring people to other resources if the staff feels it may be a better fit.

When Stephen Richardson founded Regions Behavioral Hospital, his primary goal was to ensure that patients felt safe, respected and loved while receiving the best possible mental health treatment. Although Richardson passed away from cancer in 2022, the hospital staff is continuing his legacy with those same core values at the forefront of their work.

“I think what really sets us apart is that our team lives that motto when it comes to treating patients and giving them that experience,” said Regions CEO Marc

Regions has both inpatient and outpatient services available. Inpatient treatment is designed for people who are in immediate crisis and need substantial care to become stable. Outpatient services include an Intensive Outpatient Program for both mental health as well as substance abuse, psychotherapy, holistic therapies, and medication management. The Regions team is experienced in treating a wide range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicidal ioral Hospital. In the years since, some recent trends have emerged. For example, Dr. Abdul Majid Khan, Regions’ medical director, said many more people across all demographics, including those in higher socioeconomic tiers, are struggling with substance use disorder, particularly with opiates and methamphetamines. Because of that, Dr. Khan said Regions has added medication-assisted treatment as a component of its substance use disorder care.

In addition, Dr. Khan said an increased

“Our philosophy really resonates with our staff,” Crawford said. “We’ve never used a staffing agency and we have very little turnover, which I think speaks to how Stephen set up the company and culture. We attract nurses who have not traditionally worked in mental health but realize the importance of it and want to be a part of what we are doing. It really is a great team.”

Regions Behavioral Hospital is located at 8416 Cumberland Place in Baton Rouge. For more information, visit www. regionsbh.com or call 225-408-6060.

When soldiers came home from World War I and experienced flashbacks and nightmares, it was called shell shock. Years later, Vietnam vets were often told to repress memories rather than deal with them.

Since the 1980s, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been an official diagnosis for a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary or dangerous event.

Almost everyone experiences a range of reactions to trauma, though most people recover naturally. But those with PTSD continue to experience problems, and often feel stressed or frightened even when they are no longer in any danger.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, to be diagnosed with PTSD an adult must have all of the following symptoms for at least one month:

• At least one re-experiencing symptom, which includes flashbacks with physical symptoms, bad dreams or frightening thoughts.

• At least one avoidance symptom, which includes staying away from anything that is a reminder of the traumatic experience, and avoiding thoughts or feeling related to the traumatic event.

• At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms, which includes being easily startled, having difficulty sleeping, feeling “on edge” or having angry outbursts.

• At least two cognition and mood symptoms, which includes trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event, negative thoughts about oneself or the world, distorted feelings like guilt or blame, or loss of interest in formerly enjoyable activities.