Secured Behavioral Health Unit - Wintonbury Wellness

Specialized Behavioral Health Care and Services

The Wintonbury Wellness section of Touchpoints at Bloomfield is a secured 29-bed behavioral health unit.  The unit provides a safe and therapeutic environment using a person-centered focus plan that respects residents’ choices and placement in their recovery process.

The program and care plans empower and educate participants and their families through individual and group interventions and provides residents the opportunity to transition to the least restrictive setting when appropriate.

Touchpoints at Bloomfield believes in person-centered and goal-directed approaches towards behavioral and medical wellness. To achieve this goal and an optimal resident experience, a full time Behavioral Program Director is responsible for coordinating recovery-based programming, training and resources.

Touchpoints’ unique behavioral health program utilizes and includes the following components:

• Psychosocial Rehabilitative Groups,  
• Weekly Interdisciplinary Behavioral “Rounding”,
• Comprehensive therapeutic activities and skilled rehabilitation services (Physical , Occupational, Speech and Language Therapies),
• Direct care staff trained annually in certified safe, dignified and person-centered behavioral management techniques,
• Affiliation with Greater Hartford Memory Care Centers,
• Specially-trained, supportive staff,
• Comfortable, quiet, safe well lit and secure environment,
• Safe, enclosed outdoor area, and

Comprehensive Mental Health Services

• Psychiatrist (weekly on-site availability)
• APRNs (multiple weekly on-site availability)
• Psychologists (multiple weekly on-site availability)
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (multiple weekly on-site availability)
• Full time Mental Health Specialist on staff

What Sets Us Apart

• We often accept and admit challenging cases and diagnoses that may be otherwise denied by other long term care centers. 
• We accept dually diagnosed residents with complex medical conditions and diagnosis.
• We have a consultative relationship with Hartford HealthCare and YaleNewHavenHealth to ensure complex participants return to previous level of care smoothly.
• Our behavioral health residents are given the opportunity to participate in recreation activities with all of their peers in the care center when safe, available and appropriate.

How We Evaluate Program Success 

Participation & Stabilization

• Resident participation in individual and group counseling, and recreation activities.
• A decrease in behavioral symptoms (reflected in MDS review/PHQ-9)
• Residents successfully transition through the Level System
• Weekly Behavioral Rounds to address current status.
• Compliant with medication regimen, treatment plan, care recommendations
• Minimal outpatient hospitalizations related to behaviors
• Residents meet personal goals towards recovery
• Transitioning to the least restrictive setting 

Program Director Responsibilities

• Monitors the environment to ensure safety
• Educates staff on program expectations and person-centered care
• Facilitates groups daily (life skills, social skills, psychotherapy)
• Coordinates and oversees behavioral rounds
• Liaison to third party psychiatric and social services consultants and providers
• Maintains structure and consistency with scheduling of groups and activities
• Facilitates weekly Behavioral Rounds with the interdisciplinary team
• Collaborates with department heads to provide holistic treatment

Our Commitment to Stigma-Free Care and a Stigma-Free Environment

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, Stigma is when someone, or even you yourself, views a person in a negative way just because they have a mental health condition. Some people describe stigma as a feeling of shame or judgement from someone else. Stigma can even come from an internal place, confusing feeling bad with being bad.

Stigma harms the 1 in 5 Americans affected by mental health conditions. It shames them into silence and prevents them from seeking help. The StigmaFree campaign is the effort to end stigma and create hope for those affected by mental illness.

Navigating life with a mental health condition can be tough, and the isolation, blame and secrecy that is often encouraged by stigma can create huge challenges to reaching out, getting needed support and living well. Learning how to avoid and address stigma are important for all of us.

Touchpoints at Bloomfield and the iCare Health Network communities are committed a stigma-free environment and stigma free care for those with mental illness, and also those with substance use, dementia and other cognitive disorders.