What to Expect
What to Expect During Your Stay at Brook Lane Hospital
Our hospital is a short term facility that focuses on stabilization. The average length of stay is 7-9 days. You will have a private bedroom but may be asked to share a bathroom. While here, you will participate in group activities that are designed to teach you coping skills for mental health symptoms to help you after you have been discharged.
Treatment Team
Our health care professionals will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan to guide your care. Your treatment team consists of psychiatric medical providers, nursing staff, therapists, spiritual care, and other team members. Staff from dietary services, facilities maintenance, housekeeping, laboratory services, clinical pharmacy and safety services may also be on the unit at times.
If your provider prescribes medications, your nurse will administer them. You may be prescribed medication on an “as needed” (PRN) basis to help manage the symptoms of your illness. Your provider and nurses can answer any questions that you might have about your medications at any time.
You will be contacted by your provider within 24 hours of admission.
Therapists will provide individual therapy several times during your stay. A family meeting will be offered to all patients to talk about safety and discharge planning. Families are encouraged to call therapists to talk about patients as needed.
A Care Management Specialist will contact you to talk about appointments after discharge. This will be the person you contact with discharge questions and/or referrals to other programs. Please note, discharges will be scheduled between 9:00 am and 11:30 am.
Child & Adolescent patients may call two times a day, after lunch and after dinner. Staff will call from the phone list provided by the family and will ask for the patient identification number before the patient can speak to the family member.
Adult patients have access to a phone when they are not in group therapy. You may call adult patients at 240-527-2077. Please note, staff do not answer this phone and it will be turned off during groups.
Belongings
Please do not bring in large amounts of items since storage space is limited. You should have no more than:
- Three changes of clothes, including underwear (wire free bra preferred)
- Three changes of sleep wear (including robes without ties, shorts, t-shirts)
- Shoes, slippers (without strings or bungee-type cords)
- Two comfort items, such as a small stuffed animal (no blanket or pillow)
- Books, school books, journals, word/number puzzles and magazines that are not offensive (no staples, paperclips, spiral or metal rings allowed).
- No electronics are allowed for any patient
Please see the Patient Personal Belongings list for more specific details about what is and isn’t permitted during your stay.
No outside food is permitted for patients. Our dietary department will handle all food items, including special dietary needs.
A safety staff member will carefully inspect every item you bring in and all items that are brought in for you after your admission to make sure that they are safe for you and others on the unit.
Brook Lane complies with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Behavioral Health Administration code. When you first are admitted, you or your parent/guardian will be given a “Patient’s Rights Form.” If you have any question or feel your rights have been violated, please discuss this with a staff member. Any concerns and other types of feedback are welcomed and encouraged. It is our policy to resolve concerns as quickly as possible and to ensure that all concerns are investigated properly and without fear of reprisal. If you or your family has a concern, the patient advocate can be contacted at 301-733-0331 x1720.