Entries by Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital

Seasonal Affective Disorder – More than the Holiday Blues

By: Kevin Zwiers, MBA What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? SAD is a mood disorder associated with depression episodes related to seasonal variations of light. This is characterized by symptoms of depression during predominantly the winter months, which subside during the spring and summer months. SAD may affect over 3 million Americans every year. While […]

Reflections on National Suicide Prevention Month

Every person can help prevent suicide and promote recovery for individuals that may have a mental illness. Mental health is very important to helping anyone change the narrative for those in need. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is among the three leading causes of death for those aged 15-44 and second leading cause […]

Expert Advisory Board Formed for Specialized Women’s Mental Health Program

Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital has formed a Women’s Advisory Board consisting of leading subject matter experts from various medical and behavioral fields. The advisory board is the first of its kind in Illinois and will offer a more complete treatment protocol rooted in evidence-based therapy. “Research has shown that better outcomes are achieved overall for […]

Remote Learning and Behavioral Health

How to identify your students struggling with a possible Mental Health crisis. These are times like no other. Teaching “remotely” & “hybrid”, are new terms when it comes to educating our kids. In this unprecedented time of remote learning, the mental health and well-being of students has become a serious concern. With the shift to […]

Resiliency during COVID

As we all attempt to look at ways to navigate ourselves through the Covid-19 pandemic, one area that we need to look at is our mental health and how we are managing extra stress or mental strain that it has placed on our daily functioning. A recent survey by the CDC and Census Bureau asked […]

First Responder & Front Line Employee Support

EMS, Fire, and Police frequently experience high levels of stress and anxiety related to work responsibilities. This is also true of front line healthcare workers in both medical and behavioral fields. The current COVID-19 pandemic has only added to these responsibilities and many of these individuals are now unsure of how to cope or look […]

Maintaining Mental and Physical Health

Our Chief Nursing Officer recently sat down with our Program Director to discuss how we can maintain both our physical and mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. As shelter in place restrictions begin to lift, it is important to remain vigilant and follow CDC recommendations to reduce the potential for virus transmission. For those returning […]

Youth & Family at Home During COVID

Our Chief Medical Officer recently sat down with Katie Hoye, Director of Social Services at Silver Oaks Hospital, to discuss what life might be like for families sheltering in place at home. In this short video, they discuss common behaviors and strategies families can utilize to maintain mental health including: Maintaining or creating structure Balancing […]

Maternal Mental Health

As we observe Mental Health Awareness month, it is important to recognize that events with the COVID-19 pandemic put those coping with mental illness at an increased risk. This can be especially true for mothers. If signs and symptoms go unnoticed or untreated, they can result in tragic and long-term consequences to mothers, children, and […]

A Nurse in Behavioral Health

Nurses are often the people patients interact with most in any hospital setting. They play an important role within the treatment team and often provide both physical and emotional support for patients and their families. Veronica Hughes, Chief Nursing Officer of Silver Oaks, reminisces on why she chose to become a nurse, “I always had […]