The Menninger Clinic


Treatment Program Brochure

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Better medicine for a better world
When Drs. C.F., Karl, and Will Menninger founded this institution in 1925, they made a commitment to a “better kind of medicine and a better world.” They also believed all patients were treatable. Today, their legacy continues. Menninger has preserved the founders’ mission and belief in hope. Employees are committed to making a positive difference in the health and lives of our patients from across the country and abroad. Our affiliation with Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital at the Texas Medical Center unites leading treaters in psychiatry and behavioral science, resources, and educational opportunities that enrich our treatment programs. The partnership ensures continuation of the Menninger mission to provide quality care, innovation through research, and training the mental health professionals of tomorrow.

The Menninger difference
Our diagnostic and specialty hospital treatment programs address the patient’s full range of needs. Treatment teams focus on understanding each patient in the context of their medical, psychological, and social-family needs and creating a comprehensive course of treatment for the patient. Perspectives of all the mental health professions on our treatment teams ensure an effective therapeutic experience for our patients. Each patient collaborates with their clinical team in setting goals for treatment. With findings and goals in mind, the team develops treatment solutions for stabilizing and managing symptoms, healing, and enriching the patient’s quality of life. The Menninger approach emphasizes:

  • Thorough evaluation and diagnosis designed for patients with multiple, complex, and long-standing symptoms
  • Integrated medical, behavioral, social, and psychological treatments
  • Specialized therapy groups, including spirituality
  • Individual therapy
  • Relapse prevention strategies
  • Weekend programming
  • Leisure time management skill building
  • Family involvement and support
  • Education about treatments and symptom management
  • Support from peers facing similar issues
  • Mutual respect between patients and staff
  • Collaborative discharge planning with referring professionals, regulatory boards, and others
  • Flexible lengths of stay based on severity of symptoms and response to treatment
  • Access to medical care at the Texas Medical Center, the nation’s largest healthcare complex

Families and referring professionals are important partners in treatment. Our staff ensures that families, as well as referring professionals, receive the requested communication. Treaters also make arrangements for after care to help patients make a favorable transition from Menninger to their community. Family members have the opportunity to learn about treatments and develop interpersonal skills that can benefit their loved one at home.

Specialty programs
Menninger offers specialized treatment programs that have been designed for patients’ symptoms and diagnoses, level of functioning, age, and individual needs. These programs provide cost-effective assessment and treatment in a 24-hour hospital environment. Our hospital is located on a 14-acre campus. The therapeutic setting features three patient living buildings, cafeteria and diningroom, school, gymnasium, and fitness options,including an outdoor pool and exercise trail.

Professionals in Crisis
The staff provides assessment and treatment for men and women in medicine, business, law, government, religion, athletics, education, and entertainment. Treatment is designed for the professional struggling with a psychiatric illness accompanied with addiction, as well as those experiencing psychiatric issues alone. Professionals in Crisis addresses depressive disorders, anxiety and panic disorders, anger or disruptive behavior, professional boundary violations, impaired ability to skillfully and safely perform tasks, career issues, transitions, and burnout. Treatment incorporates planning with the patient for returning to their family, community, and work. Support from peers in the program, as well as from the staff, is unique to the patients’ process of gaining courage to face their illness and dilemmas and to follow through with treatment. When addiction is present, treatment integrates an emphasis on leisure time management, family work and involvement, 12-step meetings, and education about addictions, including the family disease concept of addictions.
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Compass Program
This program serves young adults ages 18 to 30 who are having difficulty handling independence and responsibilities of adulthood. Patients must have a psychiatric disorder coupled with substance abuse or addiction. The intensity of the hospital setting and the commitment by the team provide guidance for redirecting each individual’s course in life. The program provides a supportive and structured environment to address the specific needs of young adults. A customized treatment plan allows each patient to capitalize on their strengths while they work on targeted symptoms among peers and with treaters. Compass integrates 12-step programs with psychiatric interventions. Emphasis is placed on life management skills, coping strategies, and relationship skills. Patients learn how than can function more effectively in their community, in their family, and for themselves.
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Eating Disorders Program
The team treats men and women ages 18 and older who are experiencing the effects of anorexia, bulimia, obesity, compulsive overeating, or excessive exercising, as well as any underlying psychiatric disorders. The program is appropriate when the individual is medically stable. Many of the patients in the program have had a long-standing disorder complicated by depression, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse. Others haven’t responded well to previous treatment. The team and patient develop and implement an ambitious, realistic treatment plan. Therapies, measurements of progress, and the alliance with staff are designed to empower the patient to take responsibility for their health and recovery. A registered dietician, activity therapist, and internist work with the primary clinician, psychiatrist, nursing staff, and other specialists on the treatment team.
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Hope Program
Hope provides individualized treatment for adults suffering from symptoms that substantially compromise their quality of life or have become unmanageable or unresponsive to other treatment. Patients in the program often have a long-standing mood, anxiety, or psychotic disorder and a coexisting addiction, personality disorder, or other conditions. Our staff stabilizes and thoroughly assesses the patient’s symptoms. Treatment blends comprehensive therapeutic approaches to teach and coach the use of adaptive skills. Treaters also aim to rekindle a patient’s hope that they can reach their potential and manage their symptoms. For families, the treatment team also provides education about their loved one’s illnesses, treatments, and relapse prevention strategies.
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Treatment Program-adolescent program
The Center serves adolescents ages 12 to 17 with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders. Many patients also struggle with related conditions such as depression and OCD spectrum disorders, including body dysmorphic disorder, Tourette syndrome, trichotillomania, or hypochondriasis. Most adolescents in the program are experiencing difficulties in most areas of their lives, including missing school. The staff provides evidenced-based treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The patient and treatment team collaborate on setting and attaining measurable treatment goals. Treatment integrates intensive cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication, and milieu-driven care. Patients participate in at least two hours of daily exposure and ritual prevention, as well as self-directed exposure at least three times a week. Adolescents continue their academic studies in the on-site school program.
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Treatment Program-adult program
The Menninger Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment Center provides hospital treatment for adults, ages 18 and older, with severe OCD, social phobia and other anxiety disorders, as well as coexisting conditions. The treatment team collaborates with patients and provides cost-effective, evidence-based treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For each patient, staff members design a comprehensive treatment plan. Treatment integrates behavioral, milieu and medication therapies aimed at reducing OCD symptoms and coexisting conditions. Patients benefit from treatment tailored to their needs, as well as from participating in groups with peers. Symptom- and diagnosis-specific treatment is available for social phobia, bodydysmorphic disorder, scrupulosity, intrand violent thoughts, and symmetry and perfectionism. The treatment team and patient work together to set and attain measurable treatment goals to reduce obsessions, compulsions and avoidance behaviors. Treatment features at least two hours of daily exposure and ritual prevention, as well as self-directed exposure at least three times a week.
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Adolescent Program
This comprehensive program is designed for adolescents ages 12 to 17 with moderate to severe behavior, psychiatric, chemical dependency, and coexisting disorders. The program suits patients who have not made marked progress in other treatment settings or whose symptoms require more management than outpatient services provide. Applying findings from assessments, the staff designs a course of treatment with a focus and length of stay specific to the adolescent’s needs. The plan allows a teen to capitalize on their strengths and to work on targeted areas of their life among peers and a caring, experienced staff. Family support and commitment are crucial to treatment progress. The patient and staff work together to set goals and monitor progress. Goals for the adolescents help them understand their situation, increase their skills, and prepare for success in the next steps of their life. Treatment blends groups, skill building, individual and family therapy, medication, symptom management, a focus on cultural and spiritual values, as well as chemical dependency treatment when needed. The on-site school program allows patients to advance their education during their stay.
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Heritage in education & research
In 1925, Dr. C.F. Menninger and his sons, Drs. Karl and Will, opened a 13-bed hospital in a farmhouse at Topeka, Kansas. Instilling hope, as much as diagnosing disease, emerged as an integral part of treatment at Menninger. The founders also recognized how essential education and research were to providing quality, comprehensive care for their patients. The Menninger School of Psychiatry became one of the largest training programs in the nation with more than 3,000 alumni. Through the years, Menninger clinicians have forged a heritage of innovations for treatment and the prevention of mental illness. Books and scientific papers, as well as teaching by the staff, have continued to influence the practice of psychiatry. Our affiliation with Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital, which began in 2003, enables Menninger to conduct the research required to advance mental health in the 21st century. The Menninger Department of Psychiatry at Baylor offers training programs in adult and child psychiatry, psychology, and social work. Trainees participate in clinical rotations at The Menninger Clinic’s specialty hospital.

Entering treatment
An adult seeking treatment, a parent or guardian of a minor, or a referring professional, regulatory board, or insurance company can refer and request admission. The mental health professionals on our Admissions staff will help determine which program is appropriate for the individual’s needs. Assistance from Admissions staff continues throughout the admissions process and the course of treatment. Admissions representatives are available seven days a week.