Diagnostic Assessment: Completion of a comprehensive, expert diagnostic assessment is a primary focus during the first two weeks of care. Directed by the patient’s personally assigned psychiatrist, and involving a hand-selected treatment team, the diagnostic period culminates in a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment planning conference involving the entire staff. The diagnostic findings and a set of clear treatment recommendations are presented to the resident and appropriate family members immediately after this conference.

Consultations: While at The Retreat, the treatment team may wish for specialized consultations for a patient in one or more of the following areas: internal medicine, gynecology, neurology, addictions medicine, neuropsychiatry, sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma disorders, or others. With the patient's consent, these can be arranged with experts on the Sheppard Pratt attending staff or the medical staff of Greater Baltimore Medical Center. These consultations are often helpful in sorting out especially

difficult diagnostic issues and in generating an individualized treatment plan. Consultations with Sheppard Pratt Staff while at The Retreat generate no additional expense to the patient. Consultations provided external to Sheppard Pratt are the financial responsibility of the patient and may be paid with insurance benefits or privately.

Rounds: Each resident meets on a weekly basis with the Medical Director or Associate Medical Director, Senior Nurse, and the Program Director to review how well The Retreat is meeting his or her individual needs

Weekend Outings: Many people dealing with mental health issues struggle with down time. The Retreat sponsors a recreational outing on both Saturday and Sunday. Outings are planned by the residents in conjunction with a recreational therapist. Recreation involvement is restorative and can provide many benefits, including improved self-esteem/self-confidence, improved mood, social interaction, sense of purpose, improved physical health, relapse prevention, and relaxation and stress reduction, among

many others. Some examples of weekend outings may include the visiting the Baltimore Museum of Art, biking on the NCR trail, strolling along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, visiting the Baltimore Aquarium, going to a movie theater, shopping, bowling, or hitting golf balls at a driving range.

Aroma Therapy: The Residents may choose to utilize clinical aromatherapy services during their stay to help promote stress management, relaxation, and improved sleep. Clinical aromatherapy is defined as the art and science of utilizing plant products, extracted through distillation or expression processes to yield an aromatic, volatile essential oil with chemical properties for the therapeutic use to support mental, emotional and spiritual health. At The Retreat, clinical aromatherapy is used by trained RN staff to enhance patient care based on the nursing diagnosis, utilizing the knowledge of essential oils’ chemistry to effect a therapeutic change in the resident.

Housekeeping: Agnes Robinson and Patricia Simms are two experienced housekeepers. They work to ensure that The Retreat environment is pleasant, safe, and well maintained. They provide fresh towels and bedroom cleaning on a daily basis. Additionally, they maintain the common living areas on The Retreat.