Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Services

The Inpatient Service provides 24 hour evaluation, care, and treatment under the direction of the Medical Director or his designee. On Mondays through Fridays, during regular working hours there are physicians present on every unit. On weekends, holidays, and after hours there is an in-house physician available for emergencies, who shall be responsible to the Medical Director or his/her designee.

Department of Mental Health facilities may admit persons 18 years of age or older to adult inpatient programs if they are mentally disordered (i.e. have primary diagnosis of a mental disorder from Axis I of DSM-IV) and meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. As a result of the mental disorder, the person requires inpatient care and treatment for the protection of self or others as evidenced by:
   1. recent threats, including threats to commit suicide or inflict physical harm on self. Evidence of substantial risk may also include information about patterns of behavior that historically have resulted in serious harm previously being inflicted by a person upon himself or herself.
   2. attempts to commit suicide or to inflict harm on self.
   3. inability to provide for basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, safety or medical care.
   4. recent acts, behavior, or threats including verbal threats which have caused serious physical harm to others or which would place a reasonable person in fear of sustaining serious physical harm.
2. Clear evidence that the person's mental disorder constitutes substantial impairment in one or more of the following areas thereby rendering hospitalization necessary.
   1. Work and social functioning (e.g., the person is unable to function as a parent or is unable to perform his/her job).
   2. Daily living skills (e.g., the person behaves in ways which are blatantly unacceptable in society, such as being nude in public or disoriented).
   3. There is a need for continuous skilled treatment that cannot be provided in a less restrictive environment (e.g. ECT, use of restraints/seclusion, co-morbidity that complicates treatment of the psychiatric condition on an outpatient basis, or initiation of drug treatments/dosage adjustments) which are unsafe/high risk for a non-hospital environment.
   4. The client is admitted by court order for acute detoxification from alcohol and/or other drugs, or as the result of intoxication, he/she is at risk for harm to self or others.

All admissions including those referred from Administrative Agents or private psychiatric facilities, are processed through the Emergency Room. Admissions may be Voluntary, Involuntary or Voluntary by Legal Guardian.