Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center
998 Crooked Hill Road
West Brentwood, NY 11717–1087
Phone: (631) 761–3500
Fax: (631) 761–2600
E–Mail: Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

About Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

• History
• Pilgrim Today
• Mission
• Vision
• Goals
• Values
• The Rehabilitation Center
• Museum
• Professional Departments
• Pre–doctoral Psychology Internship Program
• Family Support Services
• Specialty Services for Inpatients
• Outpatient Services
• Specialty Services for Outpatients
• Residential Programs
• Public Notice

History

In 1927, New York Governor Alfred Smith, with public support, pressed the legislature to appropriate money to obtain a minimum of 10,000 beds needed to relieve overcrowding and treat the increasing numbers of people who would need treatment in a mental institution.

Such a big hospital had to be located out in the country where land was cheap. It had to be as nearly complete and self–sufficient as possible, generating its own electricity, pumping its own water and growing some of its food. One thousand acres in Brentwood was chosen for this to be another farm colony.

Pilgrim State Hospital was created by the Legislature in 1929 and named for Dr. Charles W. Pilgrim, Commissioner of Mental Health in the early 1900s. The hospital officially opened for the care and treatment of patients on 825 acres with 100 patients transferred from Central Islip State Hospital on October 1, 1931. Nine months later, 2,018 patients were hospitalized at Pilgrim. The census rose to its peak in 1954, with 13,875 patients.

Pilgrim was the largest facility of its kind in the world when it was built. The hospital community was independent in that it had its own water works, electric light plant, heating plant, sewage system, fire department, police department, courts, church, post office, cemetery, laundry, store, amusement hall, athletic fields, greenhouses, and farm.

Over time, as increasing numbers of patients were able to be discharged and greater support and services became available in the community, the need for such large facilities to treat the mentally ill was diminished. Following the trend, Kings Park Psychiatric Center and Central Islip Psychiatric Center were consolidated and relocated to the Pilgrim campus in the Fall of 1996. The following Fall, those facilities were merged into Pilgrim Psychiatric Center under one name. Today, Pilgrim reflects the history and best practices for care and treatment of all three facilities and has become a modern health care delivery system serving the mentally ill adults of Long Island.

Pilgrim Today

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center provides a continuum of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric, residential, and related services with approximately 450 inpatient beds and six outpatient treatment centers throughout Nassau and Suffolk County plus one ACT Team in Suffolk County. The campus includes several residential agencies on the grounds such as Central Nassau Guidance Center and Transitional Services, Charles K. Post, a residential treatment center operated by the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, and Phoenix House, a residential treatment center for those with substance abuse diagnosis. Development of the surrounding acreage has been planned for the near future. The campus is within easy access to parkways, public transportation, and local shopping.

Inpatient Services are located in three modern complexes and offer a wide variety of treatment options. The focus of treatment is rapid recovery with symptom reduction, access to programs which develop skills to manage psychiatric illness and better function in the community, and active discharge planning and support for individuals returning to community living. Treatment is provided by multi–disciplinary teams of professional and paraprofessional staff offered in individual and group format. On–ward treatment spaces reflect state–of–the art design and a therapeutic environment. Each ward includes private and semi–private bedroom areas and bathroom facilities, a living room, program room, activity area, and dining room. Off–ward program and recreational space are available within each building.

There are 17 inpatient wards including 3 admission wards, 3 geriatric wards (1 admission), and 11 Psychiatric Rehabilitation wards which include 3 behavioral treatment wards.

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center is fully accredited by the Joint Commission from December 3, 2010 through January 2, 2014.

Regular Visiting Hours

Monday – Friday: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Weekends and Holidays: 10:00 am – 12 noon, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Certain restrictions apply with regard to items brought when visiting patients. Visitors should call the ward personnel prior to the visit for further information on this policy.

Intensive Treatment Unit Visiting Hours

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Tuesday, Thursday: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Saturday, Sunday: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Sunday and Holidays: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Quality Report

Pilgrim is in full compliance with all applicable Behavioral Healthcare and Hospital Standards effective July 21, 2007.
For further information regarding the Quality Report by the Joint Commission, the public may:

• Visit the Joint Commission's Quality Check web site at www.qualitycheck.org
• Enter Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in the Search by Organization tab
• Click on the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval Accreditation Quality Report on the View Accreditation/Certification link.
  Quality Reports are only available for organizations and programs that are accredited or certified by the Joint Commission.
• The results of the hospital's National Patient Safety Goal compliance may also be accessed on this web page.

Mission

The Mission of Pilgrim Psychiatric Center is:

• To provide excellent, integrated care in evaluation, treatment, crisis intervention, rehabilitation, support, and self help/empowerment service to individuals with serious psychiatric illness.
• To facilitate a closely coordinated relationship with public and private health and service providers in order to ensure continuity of care.
• To participate proactively in regional planning for services to individuals with serious psychiatric illness.
• To work respectfully with individuals with serious psychiatric illness to maximize their functioning and reach their fullest potential, in an environment of respect and autonomy.
• To collaborate with academic communities to advance knowledge in the area of treatment for individuals with serious psychiatric illnesses.

Vision

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center envisions itself as a community leader in psychiatric care and treatment which is based on a foundation of knowledge, innovation, and human values.

• We strive to enhance our comprehensive and integrated system of mental health services for individuals with serious psychiatric illness.
• As a member of the local and state mental health community, Pilgrim Psychiatric Center works toward developing a responsive mental health system through our network of mutually supportive relationships with advocacy groups, support groups, other health care providers, as well as various external agencies.
• We endeavor to create a work environment that is personally and professionally rewarding, supporting, and challenging.

Goals

To accomplish the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center's vision and mission, we have identified the following goals:

• Provide leadership, management and governance.
• Recognize and respect the rights of each patient.
• Provide individualized treatment.
• Assure continuum of care.
• Provide a safe environment.
• Assure a competent workforce.
• Improve organizational performance.

Values

We share these values in support of our mission, vision, and goals.

• Patient Focused Care
• Safety
• Communication
• Individual Worth
• Quality
• Integrity
• Family and Other Significant Relationships
• Teamwork
• Innovation
• Accountability

In addition to on–ward treatment, Pilgrim offers a variety of off–ward locations for treatment, recreation, and programming. Alternate treatment environments are available to address the needs of our patients.

• Centralized Treatment Programs provide a variety of active treatment groups within a lesser restrictive environment and using additional available resources.
• Recovery Program offers group sessions aimed at helping patients acquire the skills needed to become ready for discharge and function successfully in the community. A model apartment setting assists patients in community living preparation.
• Vocational Rehabilitation Programs include treatment, work adjustment, and job skill training in Computer Skills and Desk–top Publishing, Picture Framing and Matting, Furniture Repair and Refinishing, Electronics Repair, Porter–Maintenance, and Food Service.
• The Nature Center consists of a greenhouse and surrounding gardens where patients have the opportunity to participate in horticulture therapy.
• E.P.I.C., a creative arts living museum, provides a large environment for therapeutic participation using varying art forms and media and allows for the ongoing display of completed artwork.
• The Barn hosts an Animal–Assisted Therapy and Activities program in which therapeutic treatment takes place using the interactions between patients and farm animals as the intervention.

Barn

Nature Center Greenhouse

The Rehabilitation Center

The Rehabilitation Center provides centralized space for many off–ward programs. This state–of–the art facility hosts a Swimming Pool, Bowling Alley, Gymnasium, Game Room, Fitness and Exercise Room, and Library and is available daily and evenings from Monday through Thursday. Classrooms for patient education, treatment groups, ceramic studio, kitchen areas, and meeting space are utilized here. A large Auditorium (capacity 289) is used for staff presentations, conferences, and patient activities. A Cafe is located within this setting, as well as, a store offering small, convenience items and snacks. An Audio–Visual Studio hosts a weekly in–house television program broadcast to all inpatient wards and providing a forum for treatment and entertainment. Recent movies are programmed and broadcast weekly for patients' viewing during evening and weekend hours and are also shown for direct viewing on a 22 foot movie theater style screen with surround sound.

Museum

The Long Island Psychiatric Museum is located on the Pilgrim campus and open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 am – 4 pm. Access to the Museum is made by appointment only. Please call (631)761-2118 or (631)761-3805 to make arrangements to visit.

The Museum offers a vast collection of memorabilia, artifacts, and photos representing the history of the three Long Island hospitals (Kings Park, Central Islip, Pilgrim) that were active at one time and have since been merged with Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.

Professional Departments Include:

• Psychiatry – pharmacological treatment and individual/group support and counseling provided by M.D. staff. A schedule of weekly Grand Rounds provides presentation by recognized leaders in the field of new and current information for our Psychiatric staff.
• Nursing – The provision of nursing services is an integral part of the overall facility organization and mission. Psychiatric nursing is a specialized area of nursing practice employing theories of human responses and the knowledge and skill of nursing intervention. We are committed to the holistic approach to patient care, viewing the individual with a multiplicity of interrelated and independent needs (physical, spiritual, psychological, and economic), and through the utilization of Nursing Process. The Professional Nurse assists the patient in addressing both psychiatric and physical self–care needs. Our conceptual framework embraces the collaborative efforts of both patient and nurse to meet self care deficits resulting from the patient's illness.
• Psychology – provides testing and evaluation, treatment planning, consultation, and individual and group counseling.
• Social Work – Certified and paraprofessional staff provide assessment, treatment planning, individual, group and family counseling, discharge planning and placement.
• Medicine – Routine physical assessment and medical care and referral for special services, care and consultation is provided, either in the facility's medical and Dental Clinics or in the local community. EMSS, the emergency medical service system, provides BLS/ACLS coverage to patients, staff, and visitors, if needed. PPC is a central training center for all downstate OMH facilities for ACLS training. AHA approved Advanced Cardiac Life Support courses are provided at least three times per year for doctors and nurses.
• Rehabilitation – Vocational Rehabilitation Programs provided by Rehabilitation Counselors and paraprofessional staff offer a variety of work–related opportunities to enable the individual to address treatment issues and work behaviors.
• Pharmacy – Medications are dispensed by our three pharmacies located in each patient building, using a computerized patient profiling system which includes a medication intervention program.
• Infection Control – provides surveillance, prevention, and control of nosocomial infections.
• Dietary and Nutrition Services – Registered Dieticians assess patients' nutritional needs in consultation with medical staff and are available for individual counseling and consultation. Patients are provided with three well–balanced meals and snacks daily.
• Therapeutic Recreation – Recreation Therapists and paraprofessional staff provide active treatment interventions and therapeutic leisure activities with patients. Community trips, holiday celebrations, and special activities are organized.
• Patient Education Services – Licensed teachers provide academic remediation via individual and classroom setting and GED preparation and exam.
• Volunteer Services – The facility is fortunate to have a host of Volunteers from the local community. Varying VFW posts and church groups make up the majority of those who visit regularly to provide activities for our patients and host our patients at their location. Individual volunteers work closely with staff and patients, as well.
• Pastoral Care – Addresses the spiritual and religious needs of the patients, their families, and the staff of Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. The Pastoral Care Department ensures that every patient in the facility has access to pastoral care and other spiritual services.

Pre–doctoral Psychology Internship Program
The Pilgrim Psychiatric Center’s Internship Program is accredited* by:
American Psychological Association
Commission on Accreditation
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002–4242
(202) 336–5979

*on probation for the 2011-12 internship year.

It is a one year (Sept.– Sept.) experience in an APA accredited program which follows an apprenticeship/practitioner model. This internship is designed to provide intensive, experiential training in the core skills of clinical psychology, as applied within a state psychiatric hospital, working with severely and persistently mentally ill patients in the public sector. The population we serve consists mainly of individuals with severe impairments, whose diagnoses include: schizophrenia; affective and anxiety disorders, substance abuse problems, and personality disorders. The intern will work side by side with seasoned clinicians, have a variety of assignments and opportunities to observe and treat serious and persistent mental illnesses, witness the effects of treatment, and assist the patient towards therapeutic re–integration into the community (i.e., discharge). For more information about the Pre–doctoral Psychology Internship Program, see the attached brochure. The brochure is in PDF format and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you require additional assistance in viewing the document, you can write or call: Telephone: (631) 761–3764   Fax: (631) 761–3770.

Family Support Services:

At Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, the families of our patients are considered an integral part of the treatment process and family involvement is welcome.

The facility provides the following Family Support Services:

Family Advisory Board:

The Family Advisory Board is comprised of a group of relatives of past and present Pilgrim Psychiatric Center patients. The Family Advisory Board meets monthly with the Coordinator of Family Support Services to discuss issues related to overall patient care and treatment. Issues raised by the Family Advisory Board are communicated to the hospital administration. The Coordinator and the Family Advisory Board also plan annual events, such as the Family and Friends Open House, and the holiday gift distribution project.

Family and Friends Center:

The Family and Friends Center is currently located in Building 45, 1^st floor. It is a visiting area where patients and their relatives or friends may enjoy a visit in a home–like atmosphere. There is a stereo, televisions, a game table, coffee–maker and microwave oven available for families convenience.

Specialty Services for Inpatients

Specialized treatment and services are offered for those patients with varying needs, as follows:

Substance Abuse Services: group and individual counseling assisting individuals to gain knowledge and insight and develop coping skills to manage use of substances that regularly impact on functioning.

Geriatric Services: Age–specific services for individuals age 65 and above reflective of treatment techniques that address changes in physical, psychosocial and cognitive abilities.

Hispanic Ward Program: treatment and services provided in a bi–lingual and bi–cultural therapeutic environment.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): an inpatient program for individuals with Borderline Personality features that provides individual therapy and group skills training in stress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

DBT,S (Substance Abuse): weekly inpatient program emphasizing the use of DBT skills to help in recovery for substance abuse.

Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU): offers short –term specialized services to those patients who require extensive individualized treatment interventions to achieve a state of equilibrium and who require additional safeguards for their personal well–being until they are able to function within a more standard treatment format. Modalities include individual and groups psychotherapies, as well as behavioral programs. After stabilization of the target behaviors, patients are returned to their regular treatment unit. Treatment to individuals who are referred by the court system for observation is also provided.

BRITE Treatment Program: provides a behavioral treatment approach utilizing a token economy program and skills training tailored to the specialized treatment needs of individuals with substantial cognitive deficits that have resulted in impairments in social functioning, self–care, and/or impulse control. Many of these patients also have a secondary Axis ll diagnosis of Mental Retardation (MR).

Bridger Program: this program provides linkage and support for inpatients with long hospital stays when the possibility of discharge becomes imminent. Dedicated "bridger" staff work with patients to enable them to move into the community with greater hope, confidence and an increased probability of success.

Polydipsia Program: a program providing specialized care and treatment for patients who display excessive water drinking, water intoxication, and/or hyponatremia, a potentially life threatening loss of sodium. The focus is on a ward–based token economy system, with additional psychotherapy and pychoeducation to increase knowledge and awareness about the disorder, and behavior therapy to increase skills needed to manage the condition.

Community Placement Unit (CPU): designed to provide patients with the opportunity to learn independent living skills and reach discharge goals. Long–term care patients and patients resistive to discharge are assisted in becoming more familiar with the community through education and exposure to community resources. The unit utilizes a behavior therapy approach.

Outpatient Services

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center operates a broad range of outpatient services both on campus and throughout the community in Nassau and Suffolk County. Sites are staffed with psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, community mental health nurses, rehabilitation and recreation staff, and paraprofessional staff. Services include: Evaluation, medication, counseling and therapy, psycho–education, crisis intervention, vocational programs, self–help opportunities, and case management.

For detailed information on intake, treatment and social support services, call the number listed for each location.

Specialty Services for Outpatients

The Intensive Case Management Program provides an intensive level of supervision to those clients who are frequent system users and have specialized needs in the community. This program serves as a support and follows clients throughout outpatient and inpatient admissions.

The Case Management Program is a "step–down" program for those clients who need support to function in the community but do not require the level of intensity provided by the ICM program.

Both Case Management Programs serve consumers in the community but may follow them back into the facility if re–hospitalization becomes necessary.

Crisis Hotline provides 24 hour crisis phone intakes, referrals, and contacts after business hours for psychiatric crisis needs.

Mobile Crisis Teams provide outreach services in Nassau and Suffolk counties for psychiatric emergencies. The Team provides on–site assessment, counseling, referral, and hospitalization, as needed.

Residential Programs

Residential programs range from the semi–independent living of the State Operated Community Residence, to the shorter stay Crisis Residence Units, to the home care of the Family Care program. Each program offers a unique set of advantages to consumers, promoting empowerment and self determination, while ensuring care and safety.

Crisis Residence: This on–campus 17 bed residence provides temporary housing and is an alternative to admission for those consumers who are experiencing housing or other situational crises. Residents receive psychiatric services from Pilgrim's community programs or from other providers as needed.

Family Care: For those consumers who have functional limitations and who need supervision on a continual basis, the homes provided by the Family Care Program offer a family setting. Home services range from a family like setting to the more intensive "personal care" homes for those who need assistance with the most basic aspects of caring for themselves. Homes are located throughout Nassau and Suffolk County.

State Operated Community Residences (SOCR) – sponsored by the New York State Office of Mental Health and Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, ten residences throughout Nassau and Suffolk County provide transitional placement. Homes range from 10 beds to 24 beds and are supervised by staff 24 hours/day. Services are provided to improve independent living skills and enable individuals to move to a less restrictive setting in the community.

Residential Care Center for Adults (RCCA) – provides residential services to 130 men and women from Suffolk County. Support and supervision are provided 24 hours/day at the residence for those who find it difficult to live in a more independent setting. Services are provided on site to enhance or maintain current functional skills and individuals are seen at Pilgrim's community centers or alternate community providers for psychiatric care. Staffing is composed of Mental Hygiene Therapy Aides, Program Managers, Social Work staff, Recreation Therapist, Rehabilitation Assistants, Nurses, and Dietary Service Personnel. The residence is located in Kings Park, New York.

Public Notice

To report concerns about patient safety and quality of care, the public can contact:
Pilgrim's Quality Management Department at (631) 761–2912.

In addition, concerns may be reported directly to the Joint Commission by addressing correspondence to:

Office of Quality Monitoring
Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

or

E–mail or Call toll–free at (800) 994–6610

Comments or questions about the information on this page can be directed to the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.