$3.1M in Capital
Grant Funding from NYS Office of Mental Health to Further Support
the Project
New Unit Will Serve as a Model to Address
Unmet Behavioral and Mental Health Needs of Children and
Adolescents in the Bronx
BRONX,
N.Y., July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently
announced plans for the Montefiore Einstein Center for Children's
Mental Health of the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Einstein
(CHAM), to be located within the New York City Children's Center
(NYCCC), received unanimous approval from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH)
Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) and the
New York State Office of Mental
Health (NYSOMH) Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council
(BHSAC). Additionally, $3.1M in
capital grant funding from the NYS OMH has been secured to further
support the project.
"Thanks to support from state leaders, Montefiore has taken a
crucial step toward expanding access and care for our young
Bronx patients, reaffirming our
long-standing commitment to youth mental health," said
Jonathan E. Alpert, M.D., Ph.D.,
Silverman University Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
"Expanding services for Bronx
children and adolescents in crisis will strengthen not only their
chances of leading healthier and more fulfilling lives, but also
contribute to the health and vitality of their families and the
community as a whole, and we look forward to opening this center
soon."
Recognizing that inpatient child and adolescent services are
sorely needed, NYSDOH and NYSOMH reviewed and approved the project
expeditiously, and praised Montefiore for its initiative.
An additional $3.1M in funding,
part of a $30 million investment made
by Governor Kathy Hochul to add 109
new inpatient psychiatric beds statewide, will also support this
project. Administered by NYSOMH, these awards will cover design,
property acquisition, and construction costs associated with adding
21 new inpatient beds in the Bronx.
"Building greater inpatient capacity for psychiatric care is a
component in our efforts to strengthen our state's mental health
care system and ensure all New Yorkers have the support they need
to live and thrive. We are proud to partner with Montefiore on
this project, which will provide additional beds to serve children
and adolescents living with mental illness in the
Bronx. Governor Hochul's continued focus and commitment toward
bolstering youth mental health supports statewide is helping
projects like this one become a reality," said OMH Commissioner
Dr. Ann Sullivan.
Announced earlier this year, the Montefiore Einstein Center
for Children's Mental Health of CHAM will provide best-in-class
intensive treatment for youth with serious behavioral health
conditions including severe depression, anxiety, trauma, suicidal
thoughts, psychosis and other acute psychiatric conditions. A large
portion of the funding was already provided by a nearly
$6 million capital appropriation
spearheaded by New York State
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and
Assembly Member Michael Benedetto. Additionally, $1M in capital private philanthropy was secured
by Montefiore. This new unit will:
- Greatly expand inpatient psychiatry services for Bronx youth and adolescents, making it easier
for patients and their families to access treatment and foster
equitable care in the community;
- Improve continuity of care for Montefiore and Bronx patients through state-of-the-art
treatments and compassionate inpatient services in a
developmentally appropriate, culturally attuned, and inclusive
environment;
- Create a seamless continuity of care within the Montefiore
system, facilitating a smooth transition to further Bronx-based outpatient care, as
appropriate;
- Develop a pipeline for multidisciplinary staff to include
social workers, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists and more in
this critical area; and
- Offer enriched training for medical students and other health
professionals.
Plans for this unit come on the heels of several initiatives
across the Montefiore Health System to significantly expand
psychiatric consultation, education, and services. This year,
Montefiore was named a New York
State Office of Mental Health Behavioral Health Center of
Excellence and was awarded a $7
million grant to add extended observation beds for adults in
need of emergency care, open an intensive partial hospitalization
program for adults, expand care management for individuals
discharged from emergency and inpatient settings, and launch a new
child outpatient psychiatry clinic in the South Bronx.
The project is slated to begin Q3/Q4 2024 with the inpatient
program expected open before the end of Q3 2025.
About Montefiore Health System
Montefiore Health
System is one of New York's
premier academic health systems. It is a recognized leader in
providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to
approximately three million people in communities across the
Bronx, Westchester, and the Hudson Valley. It
comprises ten hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at
Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, and over two hundred
outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and
translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly
informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the
Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and
vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent
school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated
healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive
care to patients and their families. For more information, please
visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter,
Instagram, and LinkedIn, or view us
on Facebook and YouTube.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unanimous-nys-approval-for-montefiore-einsteins-inpatient-pediatric-mental-health-center-302186286.html
SOURCE Montefiore Health System