Syracuse, NY – Upstate Medical University has opened a new intensive outpatient mental health treatment program for teens who are struggling to function at home, at school and in the community.

The program will provide four to six weeks of intensive services to youth aged 13 to 18 whose symptoms do not respond to traditional outpatient services and who are at risk of hospitalization. Upstate said it will teach patients coping skills so that they aren’t just admitted to hospital and on medication.

The seven to nine hours of intensive treatment each week will include medication management, individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and multi-family group therapy – all based on the Dialectical Behavior Therapy treatment model that teaches coping skills and the identification of triggers. .

Upstate said the new program will create a bridge between the hospital and mental health offices where patients are typically treated after hospitalization.

Before Upstate launched the new program, Syracuse was the only area in upstate New York that did not provide any intermediate level of psychiatric care for adolescents.

“Child psychiatry services have always been scarce and desperately needed,” said Dr Mantosh Dewan, Interim President of Upstate. “The goal is to keep the kids at home and at school and this program is an important piece of the puzzle.”

Upstate received a $ 1.3 million grant from the Central New York Care Collaborative to start the program. The program will operate on the third floor of the Upstate Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences building at 713 Harrison Street.

In addition to a medical director and a program director, the new program will employ a psychiatric nurse practitioner, five registered clinical social workers, an intake and discharge coordinator, a registered nurse, a registered practical nurse, a quality assurance coordinator and a registration staff member. . When fully staffed, the program can accommodate 40 patients per week and approximately 400 patients per year.

Parents and patients interested in learning more about the program can call (315) 464-3191.

James T. Mulder covers health and higher education. Got a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or [email protected]