Community assistance program

TriStar Centennial Parthenon Pavilion's Community Assistance Program (CAPS) is a 24 hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week service that provides crisis assessment and evaluation for you or a loved one who is experiencing severe emotional or mental distress. We serve walk-in patients as well as patients from TriStar Centennial Medical Center's emergency department. Assessments are performed by registered nurses or highly prepared staff members to determine the appropriate level of care specific to you or any of our patients. Possible treatment options include inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient care or outpatient referrals to other specialists.

If you come to us and have decision-making capacity, you have the right to determine who is notified of your admission and what information is shared. However, if at admission you or your loved one lacks the ability to make decisions, a legally appointed healthcare surrogate can also be allowed to make treatment decisions, sign consents for treatment and release certain information on behalf of you or any patient who lacks decision-making capacity. Examples of surrogates include:

• Advance Directive forms or plans
• Legally appointed surrogate
• Conservator or guardian
• Any individual granted durable power of attorney
• Health care agent

Advance Directive forms and information may be found on the Tennessee state website.

If no such surrogate is present at the time of admission and the treatment team feels it is necessary to contact family, significant others and/or caregivers, a treatment review committee (TRC) may be called together to give permission for release of information. When you regain decision-making capacity, or when a healthcare surrogate is present, then the choices regarding your information will be returned to the correct parties (Tennessee Code Annotated 33-6-107). We understand the value of privacy, but safety must always come first.

The need for hospitalization can be a frightening prospect, whether it's for yourself or someone close to you. However, there are ways to make the experience less intimidating, such as making sure that you bring the right things with you for your stay.

What you should bring

One of the ways that you can help yourself or someone else feel less anxious and more secure is to make sure that you have clean, familiar and comfortable clothing. We strongly encourage all our patients to bring three changes of clothes which do not have any accessories like belts, ties, scarves or strings. Because of safety concerns, these items and any pieces of clothing that have non-removable ties, laces or belts, will be stored safely in a secure locations. It's a good idea to keep this in mind when packing. If possible, money, checkbooks, identification cards, credit cards, insurance cards, medications and tobacco products should be sent home with family members or other trusted individuals. If this isn't possible, these things will be cataloged by staff and locked in a secure area until you are discharged. For infection control purposes, personal blankets, pillows or stuffed animals will be kept in the personal items room and returned to you on discharge if they cannot be sent home with family members. If it would make you feel better to bring them with you for admission you can, but unfortunately, we can't allow them to be kept in your room with you. Sharp items such as razors, metal nail files, nail clippers and tweezers will be stored in locked area, but can be checked out at designated time periods throughout the day. This is to keep you and others safe during your time with us, while also allowing you the freedom to maintain your health and comfort.