The Community Assistance Program (CAPS) is the focal point of entry into services provided at Parthenon Pavilion. The CAPS program offers crisis assessment to individuals in the community as well as TriStar Centennial Medical Center ED and tower. Services are offered 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Assessments are performed by RN's or masters prepared staff to determine appropriate level of care including inpatient, IOP and outpatient referrals. The department works closely with Centennial psychiatrists and hospital staff to provide the highest quality of care.

All patients who have decision making capacity have the right to determine who is notified of admissions and what information is shared. This permission must be given in writing via the release of information form. If a patient lacks decision making capacity to give consent for release of information and the treatment team feels it is necessary to contact family/significant others or care givers, a treatment review committee (TRC) can be conducted to give permission for release of information, including the acknowledgement of the patient's admission. When/if the patient regains decision making capacity, the patient will be asked to make decisions about releasing information. (Tennessee Code Annotated 33-6-107)

Legally appoint healthcare surrogates will be allowed to make treatment decisions, sign consents for treatment and release of information for patients who lack decision making capacity. Examples of surrogates include:

  • Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
  • Advance Care Plan
  • Health Care Agents
  • Appointment of a Surrogate
  • Mental Health Advance Directive
  • Conservatorship/Guardian

Advance Directive forms and information may be found on the state Tennessee web site.

Items needed for hospitalization

Patients are encouraged to bring 3 changes of clothing. For safety reasons, belts, ties, scarves and strings will be removed from clothing and stored in the personal items room. If unable to remove strings, the items will be kept in the personal items room. Safety closures will be provided for shoes when strings are removed.

If possible, money, checkbooks, ID cards credit cards, insurance cards, medications and tobacco products should be sent home with family members. If this is not possible, these items will be locked cataloged and locked in a secure area.

For infection control purposes, personal blankets, pillows or stuffed animals will be kept in the personal items room and returned to you on discharge, if they cannot be sent home with family members.

Sharp items such as razors, metal nail files, nail clippers and tweezers will be stored in locked area, but can be checked out at designated time periods throughout the day.

Emergency Admission

You can be admitted on an emergency basis if two qualified professionals certify your behavior is presenting an immediate threat of serious harm to yourself or to others because of a mental illness.

At the time you are admitted, a judge in General Sessions Court must approve your admission, usually by review of faxed certificate of need, based on information provided about your condition by the two professionals.

An emergency admission is an involuntary admission, so you may not leave the hospital without approval of your attending physician.

Questions about involuntary admission...

If your attending physician believes you continue to be a danger to yourself or to others because of mental illness, you may be kept up to 5 working days from the time you are admitted. This does not include weekend or holidays. At the end of that 5 day period, you must go to court for a probable cause hearing, at which time a general session court judge will decide whether you must stay in the hospital for a longer period of time. If the judge finds you will require hospitalization, he or she will order you may be kept in the hospital for up to 15 more days from the date of the hearing. If the judge finds you do NOT still require hospitalization, he/she will order your release from involuntary hospitalization. The probable cause hearing has nothing to do with any criminal charges. It is simply to protect you from being kept in the hospital unnecessarily. Unless you choose to hire your own attorney, one will be provided for you at no charge to you. Your family will be notified of the hearing and may attend if they choose to do so. The hearing will be held at Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute on Stewarts Ferry Pike. If your stay is extended for up to 15 days at your probable cause hearing, by the end of that 15 days you must either be released, or allowed to sign yourself in as a voluntary patient, or a petition must be filed with the circuit court to begin commitment proceedings. If, by the end of the 15 days, your attending physician still believes you present a danger to yourself or others because of mental illness, a petition for judicial commitment will be files. Another hearing will be scheduled, and you will be kept in the hospital until the hearing is held which will usually be in about 2 weeks. You may be released at any time during this process if your attending physician decides you no longer meet the standards for involuntary hospitalization: that is, you are no longer a danger to yourself or others because of mental illness.
Your attending physician and program staff will evaluate your current mental condition and make a decision regarding your status. If they deem it appropriate, you may sign a voluntary admission form.
A lawyer will be appointed by the court to represent you at any court hearing regarding your hospitalization. If you prefer and can afford to hire a lawyer of your choice, that lawyer may represent you. The general sessions judges have agreed for patients over the age of 65, those who cannot be safely transported due to medical or other issues, and any patient with a dementia diagnosis may have their probable cause hearing heard remotely via tele-video. All family members who wish to attend the hearings must attend in person at Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute, even if the patient hearing is held remotely. If the judge releases you at the probably cause hearing, you will be transported back to TriStar Parthenon Pavilion and discharge arrangements will be made.
Have questions? Please call our Community Access Program at (615) 342-1450.