Psychiatry

Behavioral Health Services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center is a leader in mental health treatment for the residents of Washington, DC. As part of a not-for-profit hospital, our mission is to serve our community by providing the highest quality mental health and substance abuse treatment to the residents of our area.

We offer a full continuum of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services, and substance abuse treatment, including the following:

• Inpatient Psychiatric Services
• Psychiatric Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
• Chemical Dependency Intensive Outpatient Program (CDIOP)
• Senior Outpatient Program (SOP): Oder Adult Outpatient Program
• Outpatient Medical Counseling Center (OMCC)
• Core Service Agency Services (CSA)
• Specialty CSA Services -- Intensive Day Treatment and Day Services

Services:

Adult Inpatient Services
Our Inpatient Program treats adults experiencing a psychiatric crisis who require 24-hour support and supervision. Our experienced staff of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, clinical social workers and therapists help patients who may be at risk to themselves or others, or who may be unable to care for themselves due to their psychiatric symptoms. The program offers evaluation and treatment of illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety.

We believe that effective treatment requires active participation from the patient and any involved family members, or other support persons. Together, we design a comprehensive plan to address the immediate crisis and teach the patient coping skills so that future hospitalizations can be avoided. As part of the treatment process, patients receive medication and participate in individual and group therapies -- all aimed at helping patients better understand their illness. The social work team works with patients to develop appropriate discharge planning for community-based follow-up services.

As a hospital-based program, we are able to admit psychiatric patients dealing with concurrent medical conditions and obtain appropriate consultation for those conditions. Also, MedStar Washington Hospital Center participates in the most current psychiatric medication clinical trials.

The inpatient program is a provider for Medicare, Medicaid and most health insurance plans.

To schedule an appointment or referral to the inpatient program, please call (202) 877-5767.

Psychiatric Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Our Psychiatric Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is designed to treat patients who require outpatient treatment but do not require the comprehensiveness of our five-day a week Partial Hospitalization Program. The IOP schedule is tailored to match patient treatment needs. Therefore, patients may attend the program from one to four days a week, including Saturdays. Individuals may participate in our Outpatient Program (OP) and attend the program one or more days per week.

Psychiatrists provide psychiatric evaluations and medication management. Social workers, psychotherapists and psychiatric nurses provide group therapy, the primary modality of treatment in IOP. Individual and family therapy is also offered, when appropriate.

To schedule an appointment or referral to the Psychiatric Intensive Outpatient Program, please call 202-877-6321.

Chemical Dependency Intensive Outpatient Program (CDIOP)
CDIOP is designed for adults seeking a life free of alcohol and drugs. The program helps patients achieve and maintain sobriety, improve physical health and re-establish personal motivation. The program focuses on the notion that sobriety must be the initial goal of treatment. We help patients by:

1. Assisting the patient in living a chemical-free lifestyle.
2. Returning the chemically dependent person to a healthier life style.
3. Reintegrating the person into his or her school/occupational setting.
4. Teaching social skills and coping skills that were lost or missed during the progression of the disorder.
5. Educating the patient about the symptoms of relapse and prevention.

The basic premise of the Chemical Dependency Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Program is that patients are ultimately responsible for their own recovery. As such, it is expected that they participate in their own treatment planning. This expectation includes participation in all therapy groups.

The treatment staff is a group of highly committed professionals dedicated to helping the patient achieve life-long recovery. CDIOP consists of psychotherapy groups and chemical dependency groups. Programming is tailored to each patient's needs, but patients are asked to attend at least three days a week. Attendance in Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous is strongly encouraged as part of recovery.

To schedule an appointment or referral to the Chemical Dependency Intensive Outpatient Program, please call 202-877-6321.

SOP: Older Adult Outpatient Program
SOP is a medically supervised program for older adults needing intense outpatient behavioral health services. Daybreak participants must be at least 55 years old and have mental health and/or behavioral concerns to be eligible for the program. Transportation is available to and from the program.

In-home psychotherapy is available for home-bound individuals, a physician's order is required.

Psychiatrists, licensed psychotherapists and other qualified practitioners will conduct a confidential assessment as part of the admission process. The assessment will help determine the specific behavioral needs of the patient, such as individual counseling for depression or a psychiatric evaluation for an anxiety disorder.

Services include:

• Psychiatric Evaluations
• Medication Management
• Substance Abuse Counseling
• Community Support Services
• Family Support
• Medication Management
• Counseling (Individual and Group)

To schedule an appointment or referral to SOP, please call 202-877-6321.

Outpatient Medical Counseling Center (OMCC)

OMCC provides traditional outpatient psychotherapy to individuals, couples and families. Treatment is available for many problems, including depression, anxiety, bereavement, and stress management. Two weekly groups are offered - an anxiety group on Tuesdays from 3 to 4 pm and a depression group on Thursdays from 3 to 4 pm. Treatment is conducted by licensed clinical psychologists and licensed clinical social workers. Psychiatrists are available for psychiatric evaluation and medication management.

OMCC is open Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 7 pm and Saturday 8 am to 3 pm.
To schedule an appointment or referral to OMCC, please call 202-877-6321. If you are already a patient of OMCC, please call 202-877-6374.

Core Service Agency (CSA)
A Core Service Agency (CSA) is a community agency certified by the Department of Mental Health to coordinate patient care for eligible consumers. MedStar Washington Hospital Center Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, certified by the Department of Mental Health since September 2002, provides a wide array of psychiatric and substance abuse services to residents of Washington, DC.

Our CSA provides intensive community support and psychiatric care. Services include:

• Diagnosis and Assessment
• Medication/Somatic Treatment
• Counseling and Psychotherapy (Individual and Group)
• Community Support Services
• Intensive Day Treatment Services
• Day Rehabilitative Services

Diagnostic and Assessment
Provides a clinical evaluation of a person to determine the intensity level and types of services required by that individual. It results in a recovery plan (Individual Recovery Plan (IRP) for adults or an Individualized Plan of Care (IPC) for children). The service provider the consumer was referred for treatment services will use these.

Counseling and Psychotherapy
Services include traditional individual, group or family face-to-face services with a psychotherapist for symptom and behavior management and other issues.

Community Support
Services that provide rehabilitation and environmental supports that assist the consumer in achieving their rehabilitation and recovery goals. Include, but are not limited to: assistance and support in crisis situations, education, symptoms self-monitoring and self-management, relapse prevention plans, etc.

Intensive Day Treatment Services
Facility based, intensive, structured and coordinated acute outpatient treatment program. Provided 7 days a week, five hours per day for a limited time. Serves as an alternative to acute inpatient hospitalization or as a step down from inpatient care. Medication management, crisis intervention and psychosocial support are some of its components.

Day Services
Structured clinical programs provided during the day by DMH certified providers, either in group settings or individual sessions. Consumers attend group and/or sessions at a mental health facility during the day, several times a week and go home at night.

To schedule an appointment or referral to the CSA Program, please call: 202-877-6321.

Getting Started
As with any illness, the earlier a psychiatric illness is identified, the sooner it can be treated. The first step is to schedule an appointment for an assessment.
To schedule an appointment for any of our programs, call our intake lines:

IOP-CDIOP-SOP

Most insurance plans pay most, if not all of the cost of treatment in our programs. Often, it is necessary for treatment to be coordinated with insurance companies. Our staff works closely with insurance companies to make sure the most effective care is given. Throughout treatment, we make every effort to ensure that patients are aware of any cost to them. A financial counselor is available to review payment plan options.

To find out more about our programs, please contact the Outpatient Clinic: 202-877-6464.

Inpatient Program: On the MedStar Washington Hospital Center campus in the East Building, second floor. The hospital is located at 110 Irving St., NW, Washington, DC 20010.

Outpatient Programs: One-half mile from the MedStar Washington Hospital Center campus, at Trinity Square, 216 Michigan Ave., NE 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20017.