Frequently asked questions about assessment & stabilization services

Ben Weinstein, MD, program and medical director for the Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment and Stabilization (CPAS) service, introduces you to this short-term inpatient service by answering common questions from referring professionals across the country.

How does Menninger determine whether a patient is appropriate for CPAS?

How does the Menninger inpatient assessment differ from an outpatient assessment that can be completed here in the community where my patient and I live?

What types of presenting cognitive symptoms are appropriate for referrals to your program?

How does the program help an adult and their family prepare for necessary next steps in treatment? What do you do that’s successful with an adult who is treatment resistant?

How involved are patients with the treatment team? How does this differ from a typical acute unit?

Who provides the MRIs, sleep studies, brain scans, etc.?

What can you do for a possible dual disorders case? What detoxification capabilities do you have?

In your discharge planning, how many patients are referred back to the referring clinician, to another treatment provider and to another Menninger program?

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How does Menninger determine whether a patient is appropriate for CPAS?
We consider CPAS initially for individuals specifically looking for a diagnostic work-up and the more acute or challenging patients. The adults must volunteer for treatment and agree to take medication if prescribed by one of our physicians. Individuals we see on the unit struggle with a variety of issues, such as psychosis, eating disorders, cognitive issues and substance abuse that requires detoxification.

How does the Menninger inpatient assessment differ from an outpatient assessment that can be completed here in the community where my patient and I live?
Our treatment team offers a diagnostic inpatient setting where a patient can be assessed and monitored 24/7 with a psychiatrist seeing the patient every day if needed. For the majority of adults on CPAS, their assessments include:

• Routine laboratory tests
• Urine toxicology screens
• Genetic testing when indicated
• Psychiatric evaluation
• Neuropsychological screening as indicated
• MRI
• Psychological testing
• Psychosocial evaluation
• Family system evaluation
• Additional tests as needed, such as PET scan and sleep study

We also do a comprehensive review of previous treaters’ records as well as the diagnostic tests we perform. We then bring in all of the history and get input from nursing, social work and psychologists to work up an interdisciplinary summary and recommendations.

Our team has an ability to effectively work with a reluctant or reticent patient to help them recognize the benefits of recommended treatment and to take that next step.

What types of presenting cognitive symptoms are appropriate for referrals to your program?
We have the advantage of a full-time neuropsychiatrist with specialty training in cognitive disorders. Our team can assess all types of cognitive disorders.

What types of medical complications would disqualify an adult from admission to CPAS?
We can take medically complicated patients if they are currently stable. The exceptions are when a patient’s condition is unstable or requires IV fluids or cardiac monitoring.

How does the program help an adult and their family prepare for necessary next steps in treatment? What do you do that’s successful with an adult who is treatment resistant?
The majority of patients we see have either failed to make use of treatment or refused regular approaches to care. We have a breadth of experience and skill for guiding patients and their families toward the “readiness” stage for making a commitment to more appropriate treatment options. Our team facilitates a readiness approach for patients and also works one on one to help patients overcome fears or opposition to further treatment.

How involved are patients with the treatment team? How does this differ from a typical acute unit?
Typical acute care is all about stabilization, crisis management and disposition. Often the focus is on “symptom relief” rather than true problem identification. At our Menninger CPAS unit, the treatment team partners with the patient to look at the true underlying problems, not just symptoms being experienced or reported. The patient and team complete a more complex and thorough assessment than at typical acute settings.

Our unit differs from the typical acute unit with all members of the treatment team working full time on the floor making them more accessible to patients.

Who provides the MRIs, sleep studies, brain scans, etc.?
We use four main facilities in Houston:

• Diagnostic Radiology for MRIs and CT scans
• Memorial Hermann Memorial City for EEOs
• Dr. Eric Bell at Houston Neurology & Sleep Center for sleep studies
• The Methodist Hospital for PET scans

What can you do for a possible dual disorders case? What detoxification capabilities do you have?
CPAS and Menninger are uniquely qualified to evaluate diagnoses and treat dually diagnosed or comorbid disorders. Our team includes a certified addictions psychiatrist and certified addictions counselor. On our unit, we detoxify any patient that is medically stable and does not need IV fluids.

In your discharge planning, how many patients are referred back to the referring clinician, to another treatment provider and to another Menninger program?
Our historical data shows that 40 percent of CPAS patients are referred back to their outpatient treater, 10 percent are referred to other treatment facilities and 45 to 50 percent transfer to a Menninger specialty program to continue their treatment.

Menninger is a leading psychiatric hospital dedicated to
treating individuals with mood, personality, anxiety and
addictive disorders, teaching mental health professionals
and advancing mental healthcare through research.

The Menninger Clinic | 800-351-9058 | 713-275-5000 | Houston, Texas
Affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine and
The Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center
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