The Montefiore Health System is to create seven outpatient programmes to improve mental health services for residents of Bronx, New York, US.
Among the new initiatives is the Urgent Care and Bridge Clinic, which provides walk-in care for individuals with urgent mental health needs while aiming to connect them to long-term treatment.
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The Women’s Mental Health Perinatal Intensive Outpatient Program is another initiative, offering support for individuals facing anxiety or depression during and after pregnancy.
This programme includes individual medication management and therapy, group therapies and parenting education, with free nursery care for newborn babies available on site.
Montefiore is adding three programmes to address eating disorders, including an Intensive Outpatient Eating Disorder programme to address anxiety and stress related to food insecurity and nutrition.
The First Episode and Early Psychosis Program will provide specialised care for patients experiencing symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, administered by a dedicated team of providers.
The new programmes will be hosted at the Montefiore Behavioral Health Center, the Westchester Square Campus and the Moses Child Outpatient Psychiatry Division.
They have received more than $18m in funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health Behavioral Health Center of Excellence programme, which is administered by Healthfirst, Fidelis Care and MetroPlusHealth.
Montefiore Health System department of psychiatry and behavioural sciences unified executive administrator Salimah Velji said: “Building on our already outstanding team, we anticipate hiring the equivalent of 50 full-time roles to serve patients with an anticipated 10,000 new annual visits.
“Soon, patients with higher acuity will have the opportunity to receive care outside the hospital but within our own system through intensive programmes.”
In March 2024, Montefiore Medical Center announced plans to develop a paediatric inpatient psychiatry unit in New York City.
The facility aims to meet the urgent mental health needs of children and adolescents in the Bronx area.
