Conditions We Treat Under Caveat
These are conditions we can treat clinically, but only when they are complicating a primary mental health diagnosis that fits our scope. They are not the reason for admission on their own.
Adult ADHD Complicating Primary Mental Health Treatment
We do not provide primary Adult ADHD care. Standalone ADHD evaluation and treatment is well-served by outpatient psychiatry, ADHD-specific specialists, and neuropsychology providers. Our clinical team does treat ADHD when it is complicating a primary mental health condition — for example, an adult with major depressive disorder whose ADHD-driven executive-function difficulties are interfering with behavioral activation, or an adult with anxiety whose ADHD-related overwhelm is amplifying the anxiety pattern. When ADHD is part of the integrated clinical picture, our medical director addresses the medication considerations alongside the primary diagnosis. See our Adult ADHD page for detail on how we approach ADHD in this context.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Complicating Primary Mental Health Treatment
We do not provide primary Autism Spectrum Disorder care. Standalone autism evaluation, diagnosis, and lifespan support is well-served by autism-specialty programs, developmental disability services, and neurodevelopmental specialists. Our clinical team treats autism spectrum disorder when it is part of the clinical picture in an adult admitted for a primary mental health condition — for example, an autistic adult with severe co-occurring depression, anxiety, or OCD. Trauma-informed, sensory-aware, structured programming supports autistic adults through the residential mental health work. See our Autism Spectrum Disorder page for how we approach this.
Co-Occurring Conditions Treated Alongside Primary Mental Health
These conditions frequently co-occur with the mental health conditions we treat, and our integrated clinical approach addresses them as part of the treatment plan rather than referring them out.
Eating Disorders (Co-Occurring Only)
We do not provide primary eating disorder treatment. When an eating disorder is co-occurring with a primary mental health condition that has brought an adult into our residential program (depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma), our clinical team addresses the eating disorder as part of the integrated picture. Adults whose primary need is eating disorder treatment should seek out an eating-disorder-specialty residential or partial hospitalization program. Discharge planning includes coordination to eating-disorder-specialist outpatient care for continued treatment.
Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders frequently accompany mood disorders, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use. Our clinical team addresses sleep as part of the integrated treatment for the primary condition — sleep hygiene, evidence-based CBT for insomnia adapted for the residential setting, and medication considerations when clinically indicated. Standalone sleep disorders (primary insomnia without an underlying mental health condition, sleep apnea, narcolepsy) are not a residential indication and are managed through sleep-medicine outpatient care.
Chronic Pain When Psychologically Complicated
Chronic pain frequently co-occurs with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use. When the pain is complicating treatment of a primary mental health condition, our clinical team addresses the psychological dimensions of pain alongside the primary diagnosis. Primary pain management continues to be handled by pain-medicine specialists — we do not prescribe long-term opioid pain management or perform interventional pain procedures.
Grief and Bereavement Complicating Mental Health Presentations
Grief is not itself a mental health disorder, though the DSM-5 does describe Prolonged Grief Disorder when specific criteria are met over an extended timeline. When acute or complicated grief is complicating a mental health condition in our scope — for example, a major depressive episode that has followed a significant loss — our clinical team integrates grief-focused therapy into the treatment plan.
Conditions Outside Our Scope
The following conditions are outside the scope of our residential mental health and stabilization program. Adults presenting primarily with these conditions are better served by other providers, and delay in reaching the appropriate provider costs time that matters clinically. We list them here so families can find the right level of care faster.
Adolescents and Minors (Under 18)
Our program treats adults 18 and older. Adolescent residential mental health treatment is a distinct clinical specialty with different developmental, family-system, and educational considerations. Families seeking adolescent residential care should contact adolescent-specialty residential programs directly.
Primary Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Medical Detoxification
We do not provide primary substance use treatment, medical detoxification, or medication-assisted-treatment programs where substance use is the sole clinical focus. Adults whose primary need is detoxification should contact a medical detox provider first. Adults whose primary need is substance use treatment without a co-occurring mental health condition should contact substance-use-specialty residential or outpatient programs. When substance use co-occurs with a primary mental health condition, our integrated dual-diagnosis approach applies — see our Co-Occurring Disorders page for detail.
Adults in Active Psychiatric Crisis
Adults in active psychiatric crisis — acute suicidality, active psychosis requiring emergency stabilization, medical emergencies alongside mental health — require the acute psychiatric hospital first. Emergency departments and inpatient psychiatric hospitals are the appropriate initial resource. Our residential program serves the step-down phase after acute crisis has resolved.
Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Programs (IOP / PHP)
We are a residential program, meaning adults live at our facility during the treatment stay. We do not offer Intensive Outpatient (IOP), Partial Hospitalization (PHP), or standalone outpatient therapy. Adults whose clinical situation calls for one of those levels of care should contact IOP or PHP providers directly.
Primary Eating Disorder Residential Treatment
Adults whose primary clinical need is eating disorder treatment should contact an eating-disorder-specialty residential or partial hospitalization program. The specialized medical monitoring, meal-supervision protocols, and eating-disorder-specific psychotherapy that primary eating disorder treatment requires are outside our residential mental health program’s scope.
Primary Developmental Disability Services
Adults whose primary need is developmental disability services — day programs, supported living, vocational support for intellectual or developmental disabilities — are better served by regional-center-affiliated providers and developmental disability specialty services. When mental health conditions co-occur alongside developmental disability, our program can serve adults whose primary presenting need is the mental health condition.
Dementia and Cognitive Decline Care
Adults with primary dementia or significant cognitive decline are better served by geriatric memory-care programs. Our residential program is designed for adults whose cognition supports the psychotherapy and skills-training work of residential mental health treatment.
Forensic Mental Health Requirements
Adults on court-ordered commitment, adults with forensic-specific clinical requirements, and adults involved in the criminal justice system with specialized forensic mental health needs are typically better served by forensic mental health providers or programs specifically designed for court-involved populations.
When to Call Anyway
The scope conversation is often not clear-cut. Adults with complex, multi-diagnosis presentations, uncertain primary diagnoses, or clinical situations that could reasonably fit into more than one program’s scope benefit from a direct conversation with our admissions team. We would rather have the call and help redirect to the right provider if we aren’t the right fit than have families delay reaching an appropriate resource because the scope wasn’t clear.
Our admissions team is trained to help families think through the scope question — what the primary need actually is, what levels of care fit that need, and whether Sacramento Mental Health is the right next step or whether another program serves the situation better. Call (916) 527-9606 for that conversation.
