North General Hospital has historically organized services in line with its mission and in response to the healthcare needs of the communities it serves.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

“An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about 1 in 5 adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders.”

The North General Hospital Department of Psychiatry offers comprehensive, innovative mental health services to the Harlem community.

	Psychiatry Services – The Hospital’s 23-bed inpatient psychiatric unit serves patients 18 years and older who have a DSM IV diagnosable mental disorder. North General Hospital also operates a 19-bed MICA (Mentally Ill Chemical Abuse) unit that offers an integrative approach to the treatment of patients who have a DSM IV diagnosable mental disorder and a co-occurring substance related disorder. The Outpatient Mental Health Service provides services for children, adolescents, adults and geriatric patients who are in need of outpatient mental health treatment. In 2004, North General Hospital provided 10,585 mental health visits in the outpatient service.

	Substance Abuse Services - The medically supervised inpatient detoxification unit offers medically supervised withdrawal from alcohol and other substances. The unit’s multi-disciplinary team prepares patients to engage in the recovery process. The Hospital operates a total of 24 detoxification beds on two units.

The Addiction Treatment Center (ATC) offers an extensive array of treatment services in a supportive and structured environment for individuals who want to recover from alcohol and/or other chemical dependency. The ATC is an alternative to Inpatient Rehabilitation, 6 months to 1 year, helping patient with housing needs, vocational and educational training. The ATC provides a total of about 10,000 visits annually. The COReS Program (Community Outreach to Reduce Stress) Working with the North General Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Community Outreach and Health Education implemented a community-based mental health outreach program. Residents of Central Harlem and East Harlem have among the highest levels of emotional distress in the country, yet they tend not to utilize mental health services. This program brings services into the community, affording access for a population that is otherwise reluctant to initiate contact with mental health providers. By improving mental health and reducing stress among members of this community, the program can also serve to ameliorate the severity of symptoms of chronic illness.

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