What to expect during an inpatient stay at Brookhaven

Best first step: Ask your care team what your current status is, what your observation level means, who is assigned to your care, and what must happen before discharge can be planned.

• Brookhaven inpatient care is structured around safety, stabilization, assessment, medication review, treatment planning, and discharge planning.
• Your room, unit, observation level, visitor access, or activity access may change during your stay.
• Staff may complete routine safety checks and may increase observation when more support is needed.
• Your personal belongings and outside medications may be reviewed, stored, restricted, or sent home.
• A support person may help when allowed, but Brookhaven may still need to speak with you privately.
• Tell staff immediately if you feel unsafe, physically unwell, overwhelmed, confused, or unsure about your medications.

1. Staff confirm your identity and admission or transfer reason.
2. Staff review your current symptoms, safety needs, medications, allergies, and medical concerns.
3. Your belongings may be reviewed and inventoried.
4. Your admission status and observation level may be reviewed.
5. You may be assigned to a room, unit, or temporary observation area.
6. Staff explain basic unit rules, how to request help, and what to expect next.

Assignment factor	What it may affect
Observation level	How often staff check on you and where you may safely stay.
Clinical needs	Whether you need closer staff support, medication review, medical monitoring, or reduced stimulation.
Bed availability	Whether you begin in a temporary area, observation area, shared room, or different unit.
Privacy and safety	Whether staff need to limit visitors, room access, or belongings.
Unit restrictions	Whether some rooms, corridors, Day Room spaces, or activity areas are unavailable during care.

• Staff may check on you at regular intervals.
• Staff may check more often if symptoms worsen or safety concerns increase.
• Observation may continue overnight.
• Observation can affect room placement, bathroom access, Day Room access, visitors, and belongings.
• Staff may ask direct questions about safety, self-harm, harm to others, medication effects, and whether you feel able to stay safe.

Important: Tell staff immediately if you feel unsafe, feel watched in a distressing way, feel like you may hurt yourself or someone else, or need a change in support.

Routine area	What to expect
Morning check-ins	Staff may ask about sleep, mood, safety, symptoms, medications, and goals for the day.
Meals and snacks	Meals may follow unit schedule. Tell staff about dietary needs, allergies, or eating concerns.
Groups and activities	Programming may focus on coping skills, discharge planning, safety planning, medication education, or recovery support.
Quiet hours	Quiet hours support sleep, rest, safety, and unit routine. Observation may still continue overnight.
Care-team review	Staff may review symptoms, medications, safety, visitor access, discharge readiness, and follow-up needs.

• Ask who your assigned nurse or primary staff contact is for the shift.
• Ask when the prescriber or treatment team will review your care.
• Ask what goals are part of your treatment plan.
• Ask whether medication changes are being considered.
• Ask what must happen before discharge can be planned.
• Ask how to add a support person to planning, if you want one involved.

Medication safety: Do not take outside medication, supplements, cannabis products, alcohol, or substances during your stay unless Brookhaven staff explicitly approve and document the plan.

• Ask what items are allowed on your current unit.
• Ask whether belongings were inventoried and where they are stored.
• Ask whether a support person can take valuables home.
• Ask before using personal hygiene items, chargers, notebooks, art supplies, or electronics.
• Ask how belongings will be returned at discharge or transfer.

• Adult patients generally decide who can receive updates unless legal authority or emergency circumstances apply.
• Brookhaven may need permission before speaking with a family member or support person.
• Support people may be asked to check in, show ID, follow visitor rules, or wait in approved areas.
• Some behavioral health, substance-use, teen, dependent, or safety-related information may have additional privacy limits.
• Visitor access may change if safety needs, observation level, or unit restrictions change.

• Ask which shared spaces you may use.
• Ask which groups or activities are expected or recommended.
• Ask whether you need staff approval before entering the Day Room or another area.
• Ask what to do if a shared space feels overwhelming, unsafe, or too loud.
• Ask whether certain areas are temporarily restricted.

• Ask for help if symptoms worsen or you feel unsafe.
• Ask before taking or refusing medication if you are unsure what it is.
• Ask for help with side effects, pain, dizziness, nausea, withdrawal symptoms, sleep, or panic.
• Ask for an interpreter, accessibility support, mobility support, or sensory support.
• Ask how to contact your care team, social worker, patient advocate, or rights representative.
• Ask what to do if you need help after quiet hours.

• Ask what must happen before discharge can be scheduled.
• Ask which medications are changing and where prescriptions will be sent.
• Ask who manages refills after discharge.
• Ask what follow-up appointments are already scheduled.
• Ask who to call if symptoms return or worsen.
• Ask whether a support person should be included in discharge instructions.

Tell Brookhaven staff immediately if you feel unsafe, feel unable to stay in control, feel physically worse, have severe side effects, are worried about withdrawal, think you took the wrong medication, or feel like you may hurt yourself or someone else.

• If you are on the unit, tell the nearest staff member right away.
• Use emergency services if there is immediate danger and you are not on campus.
• Call or text 988 in the U.S. for mental health, emotional distress, substance-use, or crisis support.
• Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 in the U.S. for possible poisoning, overdose, or medication mistakes.