Chirlane McCray Launches Bellevue Hospital Program for Kids with Mental Health Problems
By Erin Durkin New York Daily News May 13, 2015,
First Lady Chirlane McCray launched a new program at Bellevue Hospital Tuesday for kids struggling with mental health problems.
The “partial hospitalization” program is meant for 6- to 17-year-olds whose troubles are too severe for regular outpatient visits, but who will be able to go home at night instead of being hospitalized. It will serve up to 550 children and teens a year, and they’ll also take classes at a special public school co-located at Bellevue.
“Five hundred families who are going through the intensely stressful experience of watching one of their children suffer through a serious psychiatric disorder will be able to start putting their lives back together,” McCray said.
The “partial hospitalization” program is meant for 6- to 17-year-olds whose troubles are too severe for regular outpatient visits, but who will be able to go home at night instead of being hospitalized.
The “partial hospitalization” program is meant for 6- to 17-year-olds whose troubles are too severe for regular outpatient visits, but who will be able to go home at night instead of being hospitalized.
The $1.4 million a year center is staffed by two psychiatrists, two nurses, two social workers, a psychologist and a nursing technician, and will treat 36 kids at a time who are seen for up to eight weeks.
“The doctors that I worked with went above and beyond to help be as an individual and not as a cut-and-paste patient,” said Emma, 18, one of the first patients. “I finally am doing well in school again and I’m going to graduate in June.”