Mental Health

If your loved one experiences a mental health crisis, know that UNC Health Johnston offers hope. During inpatient care at our Smithfield hospital, adults get support, tools, and resources to improve their quality of life.

Goals of Inpatient Treatment

When your loved one is admitted to UNC Health Johnston due to a mental illness, trust us to help them:

• Stabilize their mental health
• Learn coping skills to prevent a relapse or future hospital stay
• Return home as soon as possible
• Function as independently and safely as possible

Why Does Someone Need Inpatient Care?

Your family member or friend may need inpatient care to protect them from harming themselves or someone else during a behavioral health crisis. Inpatient treatment also helps people who cannot or will not care for themselves.

Complete, Well-Rounded Services

During a hospital stay, your loved one’s day will be filled with scheduled, structured activities, including:

• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Medication education
• Coping skill education
• Recreation (activity) therapy

You can feel confident about our quality of care because patients report high satisfaction with our program.

Supportive Team

Your relative or friend will receive an assessment and a personalized treatment plan from a group of professionals, such as:

• Psychiatrist (mental health doctor)
• Psychiatric nurses
• Social workers
• Spiritual care providers
• Recreational therapists

Supportive family members are part of the team, too. We may ask for your perspective, if needed.

Visitors & Privacy

Patients need therapeutic visiting and we encourage and support safe visits for our patients. If you wish to visit your loved one during their hospital stay, please ask them if they want a visit. Our patient’s wishes will be respected for visiting and for information sharing. We want to work with you as a part of our team to share in supporting your loved one’s healing as they work through our program toward their treatment goals. 

Our social workers want to include family or friends who are supportive of our patient's care. They will request approval from our patient and then reach out to you. The social workers will answer questions you may have about how visits occur safely in a Behavioral Health unit and will set up a time that is convenient for you. Your social worker will meet you and escort you to the visiting area at the time of your visit.

Visiting Hours

Monday- Friday

7:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday

3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Visitor Guidelines

Patients select and approve the visitors they wish to see. They determine the level of involvement a visitor has in their treatment. Therapists will be available to assure safety and promote therapeutic interactions. We can answer questions and provide education to enhance the supportive value of visits.

• Our patients may have up to two visitors per session. Children 12+ may visit if supervised by a responsible adult. Like other visitors, they must be approved by our patients.
• Visitation is limited to 7 per day. If a day is already filled, we will schedule you for the next day, or the next available day.
• Visits may last from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on our patient’s wishes and ability to tolerate. Our priority is to maintain a therapeutic interaction for your loved one.
• To assure your privacy, your visiting time will not be shared with other patient visits.
• Visitors must present ID and sign in prior to visiting.
• Visitors may not bring anything into the unit – belongings must be handed to staff for safety.
• Visitors must respect confidentiality.
• Staff will terminate visits that are not therapeutic for our patients.

To request a visit or ask questions, please call us at 919-938-7540. We will first ask our patient for approval.  

Length of Hospital Stay

Your loved one’s care team will help determine when it’s safe to return home. Often, patients leave the hospital after a few days, and then begin outpatient care to maintain their progress.

Financial Information

Most insurance is accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid. For more information, please contact us at 919-938-7540.

Follow-Up Care

Before your loved one goes home, we’ll help them make a plan for long-term success. They may receive a referral to community resources such as Alliance Health, conveniently located at Johnston County Public Health- Behavioral Health Division, next to our Smithfield hospital. Encourage your relative or friend to stick with their outpatient care plan so they can reach their potential.