Special Treatment Program (STP)

Special Treatment Program

Our therapeutic environment is specifically crafted to enhance the adaptive functioning of individuals living with chronic mental health disorders. We specialize in caring for and loving those suffering from mental illness.

Group Placement Philosophy

Olive Vista’s residents were divided into five levels (“minerals”) based upon their level of functioning. They may progress from Quartz to Iron, Copper, Silver, and Gold status. By the seventh day, all resident assessments have been completed and interdisciplinary care plans developed. All residents are provided the unique Special Treatment Program services as delineated under Regulation 72445(b).

Specific Programs

Olive Vista Behavioral Health Center is a skilled nursing facility recognized as an Institute for Mental Disease (IMD) dedicated to providing services to forensic mentally ill residents. Olive Vista BHC provides a special rehabilitation program and meets the needs of its patients identified though patient assessments. The program includes but is not limited to: Self-Help Skills, Behavioral Intervention Training, Interpersonal Relationships and Pre-Vocational Services in accordance with Title 22. Olive Vista provides 3 individualized specific programs: MIO, ODR, and ICD.

A. MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS (MIO)

Olive Vista is a 120-bed locked facility with 50 beds dedicated to the MIO program. The MIO Special Treatment programming is in congruence with Title 22 for the chronically mentally ill adults.

Mentally Ill Offender (MIO) is part of a comprehensive community-based system intended to impart mental health services and supervision for the MIO population. This system is under the auspices of the Department of Mental Health and administered through the Forensic Arraignment Court Diversion Program. Olive Vista MIO program provides a 24-hour locked therapeutic setting for MIO males and females who are carefully screened and determined for risk and commitment.  

Residents will not be accepted if they place others at risk or who are not fully committed to voluntarily obtaining psychiatric treatment, social skills training and following Olive Vista rules and regulations. An important component of this program is that residents who are admitted under these circumstances and deviate are promptly remanded back into the greater MIO system.  

Adults referred by the Los Angeles Community Reintegration Program are eligible for admission. With the mutual consent of County and Facility staff and subject to bed availability, referrals will be admitted within 24 hours. Intake and admissions will be available 7 days a week 24 hours a day; The objectives of this program is to provide psychiatric Special Treatment Programming (STP), and professional medication management  

Olive Vista’s clinical orientation is to work intensively with each MIO resident that is achieved through the use of increased professional staff and enriched further through support staff.  

Each week the MIO resident receives individual and group therapy facilitated by qualified mental health professionals and as appropriate family therapy. The MIO program includes the following options.  

B. FORENSIC INTENSIVE CARE DIVISION (ICD) and AB109

Of Olive Vista’s 120 beds, 41 of them are dedicated to the Forensic/AB109 IMD program. The Forensic/AB109 IMD Special Treatment programming is in congruence with title 22 for the chronically mentally ill adults.  

Adults referred by the Los Angeles Countywide Resource Management are eligible for admission. With the mutual consent of county and facility staff and subject to bed availability, referrals will be admitted within 24 hours. Intake and admissions will be available 7 days a week 24 hours a day; The objectives of this program is to provide psychiatric Special Treatment Programming (STP), and professional medication management Olive Vista’s clinical orientation is to work intensively with each resident that is achieved through the use of increased professional staff and enriched further through support staff.  

Olive Vista will accept residents that exhibit behaviors of criminal nature although they have no forensic history.  

C. OFFICE OF DIVERSION AND RE-ENTRY (ODR):  

Of Olive Vista’s 120 beds, 29 of them are dedicated to the ODR program. The ODR Special Treatment programming is in congruence with title 22 for the chronically mentally ill adults. 

Los Angeles County Department of Health recently created the Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) in an effort to divert felony defendants with serious mental disorders out of jail and into community care while under the supervision of the courts.  

An ODR resident is someone that has been charged with a felony crime (there are specific crimes that disqualify someone to participate in the program, such as sex offenses or extreme violent behaviors). ODR residents have been found incompetent to stand trial by a forensic psychiatrist. They have received a court order under Penal Code Section 1370 and the court has mandated the resident to participate in mental health treatment and take medication in an effort to restore their competency to stand trial.  

Olive Vista provides subacute care for ODR residents before they are placed in open-setting housing. While at Olive Vista, the residents will be educated and evaluated for competency restoration.

Summary of Specifically Identified Resident Needs 

The list below represents typical areas of need for the residents of Olive Vista. The Primary Counselors have identified these problems in their subjective assessments.

Resident Problems:

• Non-Compliant/Resistive to Care
• Verbal Aggression
• Physical Aggression
• Thoughts of Self-Harm/Suicidal Ideation
• Sexually Inappropriate Behavior
• AWOL Risks/Attempt
• Post-Traumatic Stress Behaviors
• Substance Use Abuse or Chemical Dependency
• Neglect of Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s)