Saratoga Campus
We appreciate your patience during the admission process. We take as much time as needed to provide the best care possible for all our patients.
What to Bring to Admissions
A complete list of what to bring and what not to bring can be found here What to Bring | What Not to Bring
Admission Steps
Upon arrival, we collect your belongings and medications you brought with you. Any medications we have in our pharmacy we will ask you to take back home.
1 Clinical Assessment
You will meet with a clinician (therapist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or psychiatrist) who will ask you about what brought you to Four Winds, your symptoms and behaviors that need treatment, as well as past psychiatric history.
2 Medication Assessment
You will receive a psychiatric medication assessment by a psychiatric nurse practitioner or psychiatrist who will ask you what medications you are currently taking or being prescribed as well as your past medication history.
Dr K, our Executive Medical Director, answers common questions about psychiatric medications in her Ask Dr K videos.
3 Physical Examination
You will meet with a pediatrician or nurse practitioner from our Health Services team for a physical exam either on the day of admission or the following day.
4 Blood Draw
Every patient receives a blood draw the morning after admission, even if you received bloodwork from a referring ER. If you or your child are anxious about blood draws, before a morning blood draw we can place EMLA cream or give you an anti-anxiety medication. In some circumstances, we have allowed a parent to come hold their child’s hand if that is what it takes to allow a patient to feel more comfortable during their morning blood draw.
5 Body Check
For the safety of all our patients, upon admission a mental health worker will complete a body check in a respectful manner. A complete list of what to bring and what not to bring can be found here: What to Bring | What Not to Bring
6 Settling In
After completion of all steps in Admissions, patients settle into their assigned cottages. You will meet your Treatment Team the next business day after your admission. Your team consists of a Program Director, Nurse Manager, Unit Medical Director, prescriber (psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner), therapist, and nursing staff (mental health workers and nurses).
