Skyland Trail to implement Structured Clinical Interviews for Diagnosis
Atlanta (September 4, 2009) - In 2008, Skyland Trail, a treatment center for adults with mental illness, modified the diagnoses of three-quarters of the clients it admitted. In response to this issue, Skyland Trail has implemented Structured Clinical Interviews for Diagnosis (SCID) upon admission to the program.
The SCID interview can take up to two hours, and is designed to quickly assess the more commonly occurring psychiatric disorders including mood, psychotic, anxiety, personality, and substance-abuse disorders, as well as cognitive functioning. Clinical Director Chris Cline, LCSW, said identifying a proper diagnosis at admission is not only beneficial to the Skyland Trail staff - it is just as important for the client's mindset and well-being.
"When you alter a diagnosis, you create a stressful situation for the client," said Cline. "The SCID will improve our initial assessment and will help direct a preliminary treatment plan. It also helps us plug clients into the right recovery community."
Skyland Trail Medical Director Ray Kotwicki, MD, MPH said that altering the diagnosis of adults with mental illness is a common issue. He said that his staff has an inherent advantage to diagnosing and subsequently expediting the treatment process for those with mental illness.
"Our findings do not suggest that people are necessarily misdiagnosed within the community due to a lack of expertise," said Kotwicki. "Our clinical staff simply has more contact and more opportunities to observe symptoms and behaviors than other providers. Patients stay in Skyland Trail programming an average of 4.9 months which leads to significant observation time to amass and contemplate data."
About Skyland Trail
Skyland Trail is a community-based non-profit organization that offers hope to adults with mental illness by teaching them the practical skills they need to lead productive and independent lives. We provide a unique curriculum of innovative services, tailored to the individual client, to improve mental, physical and social well-being. Programs are offered in Atlanta on three campus-like settings and are led by a team of caring professionals who are specialists in their fields.
Chas Strong
(678) 686-5912
