In its 1995 session, the Mississippi Legislature authorized the construction of a regional psychiatric hospital in Tupelo, Mississippi. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, December 19, 1996, for this facility and the first patients were served in April of 1999. North Mississippi State Hospital was the first state-run psychiatric hospital to be established in Mississippi in more than a century.
This 50-bed acute care Department of Mental Health facility offers treatment and services for mentally ill adult men and women. The establishment of this hospital enhanced the Department of Mental Health’s capacity to offer a continuum of services for mentally ill residents in closer proximity to their homes, thus allowing family, friends, and community to more actively support the treatment, recovery, and aftercare of the patient.
Admission to North Mississippi State Hospital is initiated through the Chancery Court system or through the regional Community Mental Health Care programs. Treatment plans are individualized and are prepared and carried out through an interdisciplinary approach by a team of professionals which includes psychiatrists, psychologists, medical doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, recreation therapists, mental health technicians, and others. The adult inpatient program includes therapeutic groups, recreation therapy, goal-setting, interaction with mental health professionals, and appropriate medication. Process groups help patients address interpersonal problems; didactic (teaching) groups assist the patients in acquiring skills for dealing with their illnesses. The program is designed and personalized to help each patient begin the process of recovery. The average patient stay is typically fourteen to twenty-one days.
A continuum of care is empathized through the patient’s stay. This includes pre-admission, inpatient care, aftercare, and crisis intervention. The goal is to be a part of the community mental healthcare system and to work cooperatively with other service providers to positively influence outcomes and overall care for our patients.