Albany, NY - The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and
Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) today
announced plans to open a dual diagnosis inpatient unit for children and
youth with co-occurring developmental and mental health disabilities.
The unit, a collaboration between the two state agencies, will be housed
in the building currently under renovation at the Buffalo Psychiatric
Center.
“Children and youth with both developmental and behavioral health
needs in New York State are currently lacking a level of service that
addresses their coexisting concerns,” said OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann
Sullivan. “In many cases, these individuals are seeking help in
Emergency Rooms or our Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Programs and
the care they are receiving does not match their needs. This inpatient
unit will provide them with a more focused and specialized level of care
that is currently not available in the state.”
The Office of Mental Health will be seeking providers to operate the
acute treatment unit, which will serve children and youth age 12 to 17.
The unit will also work with a step-down program that is funded and
certified by OMH in Western New York This program will help discharged
youth adjust to a non-inpatient environment and receive transitional
services before going home.
“This collaborative approach with OMH will help ensure that dually
diagnosed individuals with more complex service needs have access to
appropriate treatment options when they need them the most,” said OPWDD
Acting Commissioner Kerry A. Delaney. “By providing families with an
alternative for their loved one that meets their specialized needs, the
new inpatient unit and step-down program will help us tackle the issue
of unnecessary long-term hospital stays and ease the transition into
less restrictive community-based settings for those who need more
focused attention.”
The Dual Diagnosis Unit will not only fill a pressing need for unique
services geared towards individuals with co-occurring developmental and
behavioral health diagnoses, it will also repurpose the
state-of-the-art space that is currently being designed and constructed
for children-focused inpatient care.
This newly constructed space will provide this young population with a
modern facility created specifically for youth who require inpatient
services.
Source: The New York State Office of Mental Health
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