Montefiore Einstein has been designated as a New York State Office of Mental Health Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (COE) and awarded a $7 million grant as part of this program. Montefiore Einstein was selected to receive the COE designation and associated funds by Fidelis Care, Healthfirst and MetroPlusHealth for its ability to address gaps in the New York City behavioral health system using a blend of robust education and care to help patients, especially those on Medicaid, manage serious mental health concerns.
The grant will help fund extended-observation beds at the existing adult psychiatric observation suite at the Moses Campus Emergency Department to allow for specialized care for up to 72 hours with a trained team guiding patients to the most appropriate care setting. Additional services at the planned new Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program include case management, arts therapy and a mobile crisis team.
Montefiore Einstein also plans to use the funds to open an intensive partial hospitalization program for adults (ages 18 and up) and a new child outpatient psychiatry clinic in the South Bronx. Adult partial hospitalization programs create an option for people who require intensive care but can still be safe in their community and return to the comfort of their homes in the evening. With this planned new program, up to 25 people at a time with severe mood and anxiety disorders can spend the day (20+ hours weekly) in individual and group settings working toward their goals with the support of psychiatrists and psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, creative arts therapists and peer specialists serving as mentors. The grant also will help fund a pilot program for a new model of care, where people who have had firsthand experiences with mental health conditions will provide support as patients transition to community settings.
Another planned use of funds includes a new outpatient psychiatry clinic at the Montefiore Behavioral Health Center (Washington Avenue location), which would bring more providers to a zip code with only a handful of clinics for this population.
“This new funding is integral to reimagining and advancing how we not only deliver mental healthcare but also empower our Bronx community,” said Jonathan E. Alpert, MD, PhD, Dorothy and Marty Silverman Chair, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Einstein, and Professor, Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “Our planned new comprehensive services are representative of our continued efforts to reduce barriers to treatment and bring a new level of access to expert mental healthcare in this borough.”
