Behavioral Health

For nearly a century, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue has been pioneering mental health services for adults and children.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue offers comprehensive mental health services:

• Inpatient
• Outpatient
• Emergency

Our renowned programs combine:

• Clinical excellence
• Academic scholarship, and
• Research activities.

Our mission is to restore patients as vital, healthy participants in their families and communities.

ADULT SERVICES

Adult Inpatient Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue include:

• Eight inpatient units
• A 20-bed Medical Detoxification Unit for patients suffering from substance abuse
• Multidisciplinary care teams consisting of physicians, nurses, social workers, mental health counselors and activities therapists
• Individualized treatment plans that may include individual, group, and medication therapy. Whenever possible, family members or significant others are included in the treatment planning.

Adult Outpatient Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue include:

• Psychiatric Evaluation Service
• Adult Mental Hygiene Clinic – individualized assessment and comprehensive treatment combining therapies, medications, and psycho-educational techniques. The Mind-Body Program provides holistic services to individuals who have medical disorders that can benefit from mindfulness techniques.
• Specialty programs:
  • Intensive Personality Disorder Program (IPDP): assessment and treatment for patients suffering from personality disorders
  • Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic:  for persons over the age of 65. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include assessments, drug therapy, individual and group therapy and social services.
• Bi-Lingual Treatment Program – comprehensive psychiatric services for Spanish-speaking or Chinese-speaking individuals
• Psychopharmacology Clinic
• Supportive Case Management Program – for mentally ill adults who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless
• Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program – ongoing, court-mandated outpatient services
• Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Program: comprehensive community-based care for individuals with a severe and persistent mental illness. Services range from medication administration and monitoring, psychotherapy and psychoeducation, to assistance with housing, entitlements and any vocational or educational goals the client may have.

Adult Substance Abuse Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue include:

• A model of care that emphasizes:
  • staying sober
  • vocational assessment and rehabilitation, and
  • socialization in order to assure patient’s restoration as a vital member of the community.
• Methadone Treatment Program (MTP): serves patients seeking sobriety and independence from addiction through the use of methadone. Program includes:
  • Intensive medical and psychiatric treatment
  • Ongoing drug counseling, and
  • Vocational rehabilitation.
• Chemical Dependency Outpatient Program addresses addiction with the use of:
  • Medication therapy
  • Socialization, and
  • Individual and group therapy.
• Recovery Program focuses primarily on day treatment of patients with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse.

Adult Emergency Psychiatric Care

• NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue operates a State-certified Comprehensive Psychiatric and Evaluation Program (CPEP), which comprises a Mobile Crisis Unit, a Triage Unit, and an Emergency Observation Unit (EOU).

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

For over 80 years, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue has been a pioneer in the field of child mental health. In 1923, we opened the nation’s first children’s psychiatric inpatient service located in a general hospital, and followed this innovation in 1937 by opening the world’s first adolescent inpatient unit.

Working in close partnership with the renowned NYU Child Study Center, our clinical excellence is strengthened through a vigorous integrated teaching and research program. We are committed to the provision of patient- and family-centered, evidence-based treatment.

The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers the following clinical services:

• Inpatient care:
  • A 15-bed unit for children, ages 4 through 12
  • Two 15-bed units for adolescents, ages 12 through 18
  • Consultation Liaison Service to the Pediatrics inpatient service
• Outpatient care:
  • Child and adolescent mental health clinic licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health
  • Continuing day treatment program for children and adolescents (25 slots)
  • Integrated Mental Health Program in Pediatrics Ambulatory Care
• Emergency services:
  • State-certified Child and Adolescent Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency program, which comprises an Evaluation Unit, a 6-bed Extended Observation Unit (EOU), an Interim Crisis Clinic, and access to Mobile Crisis services.
• Crisis Intervention:
  • Home-Based Crisis Intervention Program
  • Mental health team located at the Agency for Children’s Services Pre-Placement Center

Annually, we provide 10,000 child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient visits; over 3,000 Adolescent Day Hospital visits; and 350 inpatient admissions. Public School 35, a Special Education school serving psychiatrically ill children and adolescents, is located on-site at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and provides educational services to patients on our inpatient units, at the Adolescent Day Hospital, and in our Mental Health clinic.