Creative Alternatives
We are an innovative program for adults who have serious and persistent mental illness and have not benefited by traditional services. Members benefit from the care of a multi-disciplinary team, including a psychiatrist, a registered nurse, case managers, and a licensed clinical team leader. Creative Alternatives specialty staff provide a menu of housing options, vocational services, entitlements, therapists, substance use services, and linkage to other providers or agencies as needed. Individuals can receive medication management, administration, or monitoring; psychiatric evaluation and treatment; individual group or family therapy; support with daily living skills; entitlements coordination; supported employment, and somatic care coordination.
Why Choose Us?
Creative Alternatives members and staff work as partners over a long period of time--some of our members have been part of the program for over 30 years! We believe in doing whatever it takes to provide services and support that are continuous, flexible and determined by the members' wants and goals. Each member is supported with a care plan personalized to their individual strengths and needs.
Staff work side by side with members to achieve and celebrate members' dreams and accomplishments, and encourage members to make their own choices and assume personal responsibility for their lives. This includes allowing natural consequences (which can be teachable moments for growth and learning in natural settings), establishing adult-to-adult relationships based on respect and equality, and supporting member participation in their own communities.
The program includes twice-daily group meetings, which include topics such as art therapy, music, substance abuse, independent living, vocational group, assertiveness training, smoking cessation. Members are encouraged to socialize with other members in the club room, which is open from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
On-call staff are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Who We Serve
We serve those with persistent mental illness who have not benefited from traditional services, particularly those with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar l and ll, schizotypal personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.
If you or your loved one is a frequent Emergency Department user and meet the criteria below, please contact us.
- Be a Baltimore City resident or willing to reside in Baltimore City
- Have a primary diagnosis of a mental illness, causing significant impairment in psychosocial functioning, with one of the following diagnosis: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar l and ll, schizotypal personality disorder, borderline personality disorder; and
One of the following:
- Currently inpatient in a state psychiatric hospital for at least six consecutive months.
- Admitted to a psychiatric hospital unit at least four times within the last two years, or
- Admitted to an emergency department for treatment for psychiatric condition at least seven times in the last two years.
Besides these criteria, applicants will be interviewed by the program to determine amenability to the program, i.e., interest in the services offered; ability to engage meaningfully in care, etc.; and ability of the program to meet the applicants needs in the community and availability of other needed services.
Contact Us
More information about the program and the referral process are provided below in the frequently asked questions section. If you have additional questions about the Creative Alternatives Program referral process etc, please contact us 410-631-6021, email us [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
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Those who apply to become a member should know that they will receive all their mental health services through the Capitation Project, including a Creative Alternatives psychiatrist. They will not be able to use their Medical Assistance card to get other mental health services.
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Creative Alternatives is a free program, but members will need to use their own funds (such as Social Security benefits) to contribute to their cost of care for certain things like housing expenses.
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Please refer your patient as early in the discharge planning process as possible. Our enrollment process is very thorough so, several meetings might be necessary with patient and referent prior to setting an enrollment date.
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The basic eligibility criteria are listed on the Capitation Referral Form. Our team is also able to speak with you, and possibly pre-screen your patient in-person, prior to completing the referral form.
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Creative Alternatives is not a traditional residential program. Our housing coordinator communicates with independently owned assisted living facilities in Baltimore City to identify OHCQ licensed facilities that can meet the patient’s needs. Your patient will be expected to contribute to their cost of care; and these costs are dictated by the ALF owner. Therefore, patients with complex histories, including aggression; fire setting; destruction of property; assault; specialized medical care, etc., may experience a longer wait for placement and/or increased fees.
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Our Peer Recovery Coach and therapists at Creative Alternatives do provide recovery support services in both group and individual settings. However, Creative Alternatives is not a licensed substance use disorder treatment facility. If your patient has been diagnosed with a substance use disorder, they may benefit from specialized treatment. Treatment for substance use disorders may be recommended prior to, or simultaneously with enrollment. Please contact our team for additional information or to request a pre-screening.
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The majority of patients enrolling with Creative Alternatives utilize their monthly SSI/SSDI to contribute to their cost of care, eg. housing. Patients will also use their health insurance for medical, dental, and specialized somatic health care. Please contact our team if your patient is experiencing extenuating circumstances regarding the application or receipt of benefits or entitlements.
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While some of the assisted living facilities are able to provide specialized nursing, such as diabetes management or wound care, they are not nursing homes. ALF providers will assess each patient individually, with the assistance of the ALF delegating nurse, to determine if the facility can meet their needs.
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No. Creative Alternatives does not receive funding through the DDA to provide community-based services. We do work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, if your patient requires specialized housing services or one-to-one care, please refer them to the DDA.
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No. We do not provide legal advice or assistance with legal fines or attorney fees. It is strongly recommended that your patient address any outstanding warrants before proceeding with enrollment, so that an unexpected incarceration does not interfere with treatment. The only thing we can do is assist your patient with keeping their appointments with Parole/ Probation, CFAP, and mental health court.
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We have a community center from Monday – Thursday, 9:30am to 12:30pm, where your patient can take advantage of groups, individual therapy, psychiatric and case management appointments. Your patient is also able to attend an alternative medical day program if they are determined to be appropriate for that level of care. However, all of your patient’s psychiatric care must be received through Creative Alternatives.