What this means: For this type of care, you’re likely to meet with a therapist weekly and a psychiatrist likely monthly if medication is prescribed. These are safe places where you can get support, express yourself and work to improve your ability to cope with stress and other issues and experiences in your life. Additionally, some outpatient clinics focus on helping people with specific concerns (eating disorders, domestic violence, etc.)
Clinic Services: A clinic treatment program may serve both adults and children. Services generally consist of regular on-going appointments with a therapist and may also include regularly scheduled appointments with a Psychiatrist or Nurse for the purposes of receiving medication. The goals of clinic treatment programs for adults are to work with the individual in developing a plan of care designed to minimize symptoms, maximize wellness, and promote recovery toward the achievement of life goals. Clinic treatment programs that serve children additionally work to provide early assessment and identification of childhood emotional problems and to engage the child and the family in a plan of care that minimizes symptoms, maximizes wellness and assists the child in developing a resilient and hopeful approach to school, family, and community, and maintain the child in his or her natural environment.
Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS): This program is a group-based recovery program for adults (ages 18 – 90) living with mental illness. A comprehensive array of services and treatments facilitate recovery, wellness and support. Each client works with a mentor to define their own goals and select services and attend groups that will assist them in achieving their goals. Psychiatry services are often available as needed.
Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment (IPRT): IPRT is an individual-oriented, goal-focused, rehabilitation program for people recovering from mental illness. Through multiple weekly sessions, skills to improve socialization, employment and independent living are built to help those enrolled thrive. Group and individual counseling are offered.
Crisis Respite Centers: Crisis respite centers provide short-term respite for individuals eighteen years and above who are in a psychiatric crisis and who are not an imminent danger to themselves or others. Respite centers allow an individual to seek short-term support outside of a hospital. Peer and staff support is available 24/7, workshops tailored to current guests are provided on an ongoing basis.
Day Treatment Programs: Day treatment programs are daily programs that emphasize skills building for improved socialization, employment and independent living. They are helpful for those recovering who might benefit from additional structure. Group and individual counseling are offered. Most day treatment programs for children and adolescents have an education component offered by the Department of Education.
Partial Hospital Program (PHP): PHP is a 6 week partial hospitalization program. PHP is a 5 day per week intensive, structured program that offers a variety of services designed to stabilize people experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms while remaining in the community. PHP can also offer a transition back to the community for those being discharged from an inpatient unit. Most PHP programs for children and adolescents have an education component offered by the Department of Education.
Substance Abuse Outpatient Rehabilitation: This state-certified service provides drug and alcohol treatment sessions that can be scheduled during various times throughout the week. In addition to drug and alcohol treatment – social and health care services, skill development in accessing community services, activities therapy, information and education about nutrition, and vocational and educational evaluation services are also provided. Individuals initially receive services 3-5 days a week for 4 hours a day.
Opioid Treatment Program (OTP): These state-certified sites administer methadone, buprenorphine and other approved medications to treat opioid dependence. OTPs offer medical and support services including counseling and vocational rehabilitation.
What this means: These services can be provided outside of a traditional clinic setting, such as in a person’s home.
Mobile Crisis Teams: An individual can be referred to a Mobile Crisis Team if they are experiencing or at risk of experiencing a psychological or psychiatric crisis and are unable or unwilling to access treatment in the community. The goal of the MCT visit is to assess for risk, stabilize and link or relink the individual to services in the community. MCT team can be made up of Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists and Psychiatrists, Peer Specialists and Community Liaisons. Services are short term, usually no more than 2 weeks.
Parachute: These teams of specially trained peer specialists and behavioral health professionals work with individuals 16 and older and their families to address the challenges associated with serious mental illness. They focus on communication and transparency between the treatment team, a person with mental illness and their family to move towards recovery, overall wellness and hope. The team meets with the person as often as needed for up to 1 year.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams: ACT Teams provide an evidenced-based treatment, rehabilitation, and support services, using a person-centered, recovery-based approach for adults with serious mental illness. With this type of care, patients receive wrap-around care, including mental health treatment, health, vocational, family education, wellness education, links to community resources, and peer support. This support is provided by a mobile, multi-disciplinary team in community settings.
There are also Children and Youth Assertive Community Treatment Teams that provide intensive home and community-based services that are child-centered and family focused.
Home Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI): This program works with children ages 5-17 who are at risk for psychiatric hospitalization. The program lasts 4 to 6 weeks. The therapist comes to the client’s home or meets with them in the community. The child can regularly attend treatment and must be referred to the program by a mental health provider. Family therapy, parenting skills, medication management, assertiveness and communication skills training are provided through Home Based Crisis Intervention. There is also 24/7 on call coverage.
Functional Family Therapy (FFT): FFT is built on a foundation of acceptance and respect. Services are provided in the home and other community settings to adolescents aged 11-18 struggling with behavioral or emotional issues. Services are provided over 3 to 5 months.
Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT): BSFT is an intensive, short-term, preventive program that assists families with children and youth struggling with serious behavior problems. The therapy strengthens family bonds and improves family functioning in order to improve youth behavior and decrease substance misuse and other behavioral problems. The average length of service is four months.
Early Intervention: Early Intervention is provided in the home and community for children 0-5 after an in depth assessment. Services can include play therapy, family therapy, and services to address any developmental delays.
Recovery: A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.
What this means: Inpatient Mental Health or Substance Abuse Services provide the highest level of care, with 24-hour medical supervision to assure safety and proper treatment.
Psychiatric Inpatient Unit: The psychiatric inpatient unit is the highest level of mental health care. An individual can be admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit if they are assessed to be a danger to self or others. There they receive intensive psychiatric treatment from a team of nurses, social workers psychiatrists and other behavioral health staff. Physical health is also assessed, and the individual will receive any medical care they need to maintain their health in the hospital. Group and individual therapy is offered. Medication management is provided.
Medically Managed or Supervised Withdrawal and Stabilization for Substances: Detoxification from alcohol or drugs is a medically supervised treatment conducted in an inpatient facility. Symptoms must be severe enough to warrant 24-hour supervision.
Inpatient Rehabilitation for Substance Abuse: 24-hour, structured, short-term intensive treatment services help people build skills to cope with emotions and stress without returning to substance misuse.
Family Resource Centers: The Family Resource Center (FRC) is a program for parents/caregivers whose children (0-24 years old) have or are at risk of developing emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges. FRCs provide the following services: peer-to-peer support; help navigating systems; information to help families make informed decisions and be full partners in determining services for their children; referrals to appropriate services and resources available within the community based on the family’s and youth’s needs; skill development through educational workshops; recreational activities; assistance in coordinating services; respite care; and a phone line answered by a family advocate for families to call with questions/concerns during the program’s operating hours. They also have youth advocates that can offer peer support.
Peer Advocacy Programs: Provide support and advocacy for adults (18+) with mental health concerns. Includes assistance with connection to insurance and public benefits, linkages to housing, referrals to legal services, and workshops on recovery and peer counseling. Additional assistance provided through self-help groups focused on areas such as coping with illness, stigma, and returning to school or work.
Clubhouses: Offers member-driven services to adults with serious and persistent mental illness. Members can participate in a structured day where they can use their talents and abilities while they get assistance with transitional, supported, and independent employment, education, and housing.
Preventive Services: Services are offered to families as a support when there are difficulties and stressors in the home. They often offer limited group and individual counseling as well as advocacy, youth development programs, literacy, ESL classes, wraparound funds for emergency food/clothes/household needs, referrals for youth and adult employment programs and alternative education programs.
NYC Family Justice Centers: The New York City Family Justice Centers, which are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, offer comprehensive services in one location for victims of domestic violence, elder abuse, and sex trafficking. Victims of domestic violence can find counseling, legal information and support, help finding child care, financial support and job and educational training under one roof with on-site child care for children 3+.
Health Home Care Coordination: A Health Home is a group of organizations working closely together to provide physical health, mental health and addiction services. The Health Home will assign a Care Coordinator who brings together all of these services for an individual. A Care Coordinator will speak with health plans, hospitals, and community-based programs to make sure and individual receives the services they need to stay healthy, out of the emergency room (ER), and out of the hospital. Health Homes can offer enhanced services such as:
- Person-centered Planning
- Setting up & Reviewing Services
- Health Tips
- Follow-up Care
- Family Support Services
To qualify for a Health Home an individual must have a significant behavioral health issue, 2 or more Chronic Medical Conditions which can include substance misuse or dependence or HIV.