Wellstar Behavioral Health
Complete wellness, from head to toe
Emotional and behavioral health plays an important role in our overall wellness. That’s why Wellstar Behavioral Health provides whole-person care that considers every part of your well-being.
About
When you turn to Wellstar for behavioral health services, you’ll have a team of caring and skilled behavioral health professionals at your side. Committed to supporting your physical and mental well-being with a large offering of behavioral health services, we’re ready with the care and guidance you need to get back to living your best life.
Together, we’ll create a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. From inpatient to outpatient psychiatric care, and even specialized services for individuals with chronic medical conditions, we’re here for you whenever you need us.
Outpatient Behavioral Health
Through psychiatric medication management and psychotherapy, we care for patients with moderate to severe symptoms of psychiatric illness — which means that while your symptoms may be having a significant impact on your overall well-being, they aren’t so severe you need an intensive outpatient program or inpatient psychiatric care. If you have questions or believe you or a loved one could benefit from our care, please contact us at (770) 644-1570.Inpatient Psychiatric Care
Our inpatient behavioral health units provide 24-hour care for adults ages 18 and older who need immediate stabilization because of a primary psychiatric illness. An individual may be admitted to one of our inpatient behavioral health units if they are experiencing uncontrolled symptoms of mental illness or a substance use disorder, if there is risk for suicide or if they are unable to attend to their basic needs. While we know this can be a stressful process, you can take comfort in knowing our services were designed to provide you or your loved one with safe, around-the-clock care, and to facilitate recovery from the difficulties interfering with quality of life.Our inpatient behavioral health services include:
- 24-hour behavioral health monitoring and supervision
- Behavioral health assessment and evaluation
- Medication adjustment and management
- Individual and group therapy
- Patient and family education
- Recreational therapy
- Discharge and aftercare planning
Once admitted to a Wellstar inpatient behavioral health unit, our team will complete a thorough evaluation. This assessment will help us determine the cause of your or your loved one’s distress, including any underlying medical conditions. After evaluation, our team of experts will work with you and your family to develop an effective and personalized treatment plan.
Admissions and Referrals
We accept admissions to our inpatient behavioral health units 24-hours a day. If you have questions, you can reach our Behavioral Health Assessment & Resource Center (BH-ARC) anytime at (470) 732-3789. Referrals can be self-referrals or may be made by a healthcare professional, family member or friend.If you or a loved are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Hospital-Based Behavioral Health Services
We recognize that when individuals have emotional or behavioral needs, getting access to the right resources can be challenging. That’s why, with a commitment to treat the whole person, Wellstar provides access to on-site and virtual behavioral health specialists in our hospital emergency departments and on the medical floors to meet these important patient needs.Health Psychology Services
As clinical health psychologists, we understand how physical health and illness can be impacted by psychological, behavioral, social and cultural factors. That’s why our health psychologists may provide pre-surgical evaluations to help ensure a successful medical outcome, provide support to help you adjust to a new medical condition, or work with you or your loved one to change lifestyle behaviors that are contributing to the onset or worsening of a physical health condition.
Whatever the case, rather than focusing only on mental health, we use a comprehensive approach to help you or your loved one reach their goals and live life to the fullest.
Our specialized health psychology programs include:
- Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine: Our program is designed to help patients manage the stress associated with cardiovascular disease and to initiate lifestyle changes associated with improved health outcomes. We also have sub-specialty services for patients who are thinking about or recovering from left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.
- Metabolic Behavioral Medicine: Our services help patients improve their management of hemoglobin a1c, lose weight, sustain weight loss and manage lifestyle behaviors that contribute to a variety of metabolic conditions. We also offer sub-specialty services for patients who are thinking about or recovering from bariatric surgery.
- Pain Psychology: Our pain psychology services were developed to help patients manage pain more effectively through cognitive, behavioral and advanced coping methods. We also offer sub-specialty services for patients considering spinal cord stimulator implantation.
- Psychosocial Oncology: Our program was designed to help patients adjust to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and learn to manage the stressors associated with cancer, such as emotional distress, fatigue, side effects, pain or sleep difficulties, personal relationships and more.
- Somatic Symptom Disorders: Our services aim to help patients who are experiencing unexplained physical symptoms that may be caused or impacted by stress.
For more information about our health psychology services, please contact us at (770) 514-6760.
Integrated Behavioral Health Services
When you or a loved one need emotional or behavioral support, we know it’s common to turn to a primary care provider for help. That’s why we’ve developed an integrated behavioral health program, which includes on-site behavioral health providers at many of our primary and specialty-care clinics.
These clinicians work with your primary care physician to help with emotional or behavioral conditions that could interfere with your quality of life, including:
- Anxiety (mild-to-moderate)
- Depression (mild-to-moderate)
- General stress
- Posttraumatic stress (mild-to-moderate)
- Sleep problems
- Tobacco use
It's our way of making behavioral healthcare more accessible and meet you, or your loved one, where you are.
Neuropsychology
With a specialized understanding of brain-behavior relationships, our skilled neuropsychologists can effectively evaluate, diagnose and treat neurocognitive disorders or known brain conditions, such as stroke or brain injury, that affect you cognitively, emotionally and functionally.
Our services include:
- Outpatient neuropsychology: Diagnostic and evaluation services for patients with a variety of neurological symptoms stemming from possible dementia, traumatic brain injury and neurological disease.
- Inpatient neuropsychology: Our inpatient neuropsychologists provide brief neuropsychological evaluations and behavioral interventions to help patients and their families adjust to the changes that come with traumatic brain injury.
Together with you and your family, we’ll work to improve your knowledge of your condition — and help you plan for and adjust to your treatment.
Our team is also invested in training future neuropsychologists through our Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN) residency program. Our APPCN program promotes an exciting atmosphere filled with learning, teaching and collaboration.
If you or a loved one are in need of neuropsychology services or have questions about our services, please contact us at (470) 956-3941.
System-Wide Behavioral Health Services
Wellstar is committed to meeting a number of overarching goals that extend beyond the standard behavioral health services offered by most health systems, including our Zero Suicide Initiative. By adopting the national Zero Suicide framework, we make suicide prevention a priority by focusing on suicide prevention education, training, screening processes and other best practices to care for you and your loved ones.
We consider it an honor to model effective mental healthcare for patients, and to effect change and growth in our field.
If you or a loved one are having thoughts of suicide and are in need of immediate support, please contact the Georgia Crisis Access Line at (800) 715-4225.
If you’re interested in partnering to support our suicide prevention efforts, please contact the Wellstar Foundation.
Whether you need ongoing care or an extra layer of support when you’re hospitalized for a medical reason, our care team is here to help. Led by your psychiatrist, your care team will include different behavioral health specialists, such as:
- Clinical social workers
- Licensed professional counselors
- Masters-level therapists and psychologists
- Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners
All with specialized training in mental and behavioral healthcare, each member of your team will contribute valuable expertise and insight work to ensure you get comprehensive care you need to support every aspect of your health.
Services
- Anxiety (mild-to-moderate)
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression (mild-to-moderate)
- General stress
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Major depressive disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress (mild-to-moderate)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
- Sleep problems
- Substance abuse
- Suicidal thoughts
- Tobacco use
Locations
News
Related articles
Highlights
Well Starts with Mental Health
Your body supports you in everything you do, from everyday activities like grocery shopping to milestones and memories with friends and family.
But while you may make sure you eat healthy, get your exercise and see your doctor to keep up with your physical health, it’s important to check in on your mental health, too.
Wellstar Primary Care Physician Dr. Jeremy Neuman recommends “taking mental health to the foreground instead of leaving it in the background.”
“Without a balanced and calm mental health, it gets very hard to enjoy a proper quality of life,” Dr. Neuman said.
Wellstar offers a full range of behavioral health services close to home in convenient locations, so you can feel your best both physically and mentally.
Meeting you where you are
If you’re dealing with feelings of anxiety and depression, you may turn to your primary care physician or another healthcare provider for help. Wellstar is removing barriers to behavioral healthcare by integrating those services into many of our locations.
On-site behavioral health providers work at many of our primary care and specialty clinics, making it a little easier to take that first step in improving your mental health. Wellstar also provides access to on-site and virtual behavioral health specialists in hospital emergency departments and on the medical floors.
“We know that patients are already struggling with stigma, and sometimes it takes a lot for a patient to come into care with a behavioral health professional, and we wanted to remove that stigma,” said Dr. Ryan Breshears, Wellstar’s chief behavioral health officer.
About 1 in 3 patients with a physical health condition also could benefit from some form of mental health support, Dr. Breshears said. Wellstar’s providers work together across specialties to ensure each patient receives “whole person care” – addressing both their mental and physical well-being.
“When you address the mental health components that an individual is dealing with, you’re going to improve the physical outcomes,” Dr. Breshears said. “In the same way, if you address the physical health outcomes, you’re probably going to provide care that improves the mental health outcomes as well.”
Wellstar Psychologist Dr. Shawn Coyne works with cardiac patients to provide that whole person care to patients like John Petrick and his daughter Janin as they adjust to cardiac diagnoses.
Cardiac health and behavioral health are closely tied, Dr. Coyne said – if someone is depressed, they are twice as likely to have a cardiac health issue or twice as likely to experience a second cardiac event. Heart patients are also three times as likely to be depressed as the general population.
In addition to cardiovascular behavioral medicine, Wellstar also offers several other specialized programs to assist patients with the mental and emotional challenges of a medical condition:
- Metabolic behavioral medicine, for patients with metabolic conditions or who have received bariatric surgery
- Psycho-gastroenterology to provide support to gastrointestinal patients
- Psychosocial oncology to help patients adjust to cancer treatment
- Somatic symptom disorders for people experiencing unexplained physical symptoms that may be caused or impacted by stress
With Wellstar’s PeopleCare approach, providers tailor care to each patient, taking the time to get to know their needs and create a customized care plan.
“You as the patient are part of the treatment team,” Dr. Coyne said. “You are involved, you can participate, you give feedback, you engage and we get a better end product when we work as a strong team.”
To learn more about outpatient behavioral health services, call (770) 644-1570.
Compassionate inpatient care
If you or a loved one requires immediate care for a behavioral health condition, our inpatient behavioral health units provide 24-hour care for adults ages 18 and older.
Inpatient behavioral health services include round-the-clock monitoring, medication management, individual and group therapy, and educational resources for both the patient and their family.
If you have questions, you can reach our Behavioral Health Assessment & Resource Center anytime at (470) 732-3789. However, in the case of an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Highlights
Well Starts with Spring Screenings
When the weather starts to warm up, many people start getting ready for the spring season. Along with cleaning and decluttering your home, you should also spruce up the space you live in every day — your body.
When you prioritize your well-being and do the proper up-keep for your health, it may help you stay ahead of potential medical issues.
To feel your best this spring and beyond, we’re sharing our top tips to keep you healthy.
Check for a clean bill of health
Setting our clocks forward can also be your reminder to set up a visit with your primary care provider.
“People should definitely add a wellness exam to their spring-cleaning checklist, regardless of age. Routine preventative care every year is very important,” said Dr. Nayab Dhanani, Wellstar primary care provider.
During a wellness exam, your physician will check your Foundational 4 Numbers — body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
From there, your physician can help create a screening plan to help keep you ahead of chronic conditions or serious diseases. Recommended screenings may vary depending on your family history, gender and age as well as your physician’s orders.
“The importance of screenings is really to be proactive instead of reactive,” said Dr. Facia Dew, Wellstar primary care physician. “It’s better to know a person’s risk factors so we can screen accordingly. Our goal is to meet their unique medical needs and help them live a healthy life.”
Be sure to bring up any other medical concerns, health questions or wellness goals at the appointment. Wellstar providers are partners in your care, committed to keeping you feeling your best physically, mentally and emotionally.
Spruce up on colon screenings
Talking about colon health can feel a little uncomfortable, but getting screened could save your life. If caught early, colorectal cancer has a 91% survival rate.
Starting at age 45, everyone should get a colonoscopy. Those with a higher risk or family history of colorectal cancer may need to start screening even sooner.
Learn more about how well starts with clean colons.
Highlights
Habits to Become the Healthiest You
Small changes add up to big results. By incorporating simple habits into your life, you can kickstart your wellness journey and stay on track for the long run.
Schedule a wellness exam
Seeing your primary care provider at least once a year is the single most important thing you can do for your health.
At your annual exam, your physician will help keep you healthy and reach your wellness goals. They screen for diseases to stay ahead of medical issues and check in on your overall well-being.
Set a reminder on your phone or calendar to prompt you to book an appointment. You can also use an important date, such as your birthday, anniversary or holiday, as a marker to remind you to schedule a visit.
Get moving to stay well
If you’re focused on improving your fitness routine, put a plan in place to be more active and drop the extra pounds. According to Wellstar Internal Medicine Physician Dr. Asher Niazi, consistency is key to succeed.
“Raise your heart rate 45 minutes a day, at least five to six days a week,” Dr. Niazi said, stressing the importance of regular activity. “You don't have to go in gym and spend two hours working out. Exercise can be as simple as going on a brisk walk.”
For those looking to slim down, your healthcare provider can help jumpstart your health journey with a tailored diet and exercise plan.
Set a sleep routine
Having a bedtime routine is essential to catch more Z’s over the year. When you wake up feeling rested, you often feel more productive and energized throughout the day.
Get started by setting a specific time to go to sleep — and sticking to it. Make sure you reserve at least seven to nine hours per night for sleep.
Limit your screen time before getting in bed. Bright screens from a phone, computer or TV can keep your brain awake and make it harder to fall asleep.
If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, have a decaffeinated cup of tea or take a warm bath to help you relax.
Eat a balanced diet
When it comes to losing weight, many people look for a “quick fix” which can often create unhealthy ways of eating. Creating a healthy eating plan from the start can help avoid any fad diet pitfalls.
Nutrition plans that restrict or eliminate food groups, and those with extreme calorie deficits are difficult to maintain and can often produce more weight gain or undesired results, according to Wellstar Registered Dietitian Kelly Prian.
Diet trends can also create a negative relationship with food, which can make it harder to achieve your goals. Kelly Prian shared that those with long-term success focus on maintaining a plan that enables steady weight loss over time.
A healthy nutrition plan is balanced and emphasizes on whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, low fat dairy, nuts and seeds, and whole grains.
Try not to overcomplicate healthy eating. Focus on starting with small changes like filling half your plate with vegetables, or have fun trying new recipes.
Take care of your mental health
Self-care is an important aspect of your mental well-being, and should be made a consistent part of each day.
“Make self-care a priority and a non-negotiable,” said Dr. Rebecca Gomez, Wellstar clinical health psychologist and Clinician Resiliency & Well-Being Program Lead.
“Think of self-care as a form of personal healing and a way to strengthen resilience,” Dr. Gomez explained. “Much like the way exercise enhances physical health, self-care enhances mental health.”
According to Dr. Gomez, even small acts of intention can turn tasks we do on “autopilot” into more meaningful experiences.
“When washing your hands, give yourself a hand massage,” Dr. Gomez shared. “When driving, use red lights to practice deep breathing. Listen to a book on tape or language lessons rather than the radio, or call someone to reconnect.”
If you feel overwhelmed by stress or anxiety, Wellstar’s behavioral health specialists are here for you.
“Working with a mental health provider is different than speaking with a friend, or even a ‘life coach,’” Dr. Gomez said. “Mental health professionals are trained and licensed to address psychological or emotional wellness.”
Need support? Connect with a Wellstar behavioral health specialist.
Stay safe during the pandemic
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, things may feel uncertain. However, there are several steps you can take to protect your health.
Focus on what you can control. Get the COVID-19 vaccine and booster, if eligible. You should also continue following the 3Ws — wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance around others.
If you are having a difficult time coping with your emotions, find support from a behavioral health specialist.
No matter what your health resolutions may be this year, we’re here for you. Learn how to win at your wellness goals with the help of Wellstar health experts.