Inpatient Mental Health
Inpatient Mental Health
Samaritan’s Inpatient Mental Health Unit (IMHU) is a 32 bed unit located on the 2nd floor of the Pratt Building on Samaritan Medical Center’s main campus and is certified and licensed by New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH). We serve persons who are experiencing a severe psychiatric crisis and in need of an inpatient setting for safety, care and treatment to stabilize the immediate crisis. Treatment is individualized and quality care is provided that best suits the needs of our patients. There is an emphasis on maintaining safety, medication stabilization and the development of individualized coping skills in response to the crisis. Once the immediate crisis has been resolved or the severity has become manageable, patients are discharged and their care is transitioned to community based providers and supports for continued recovery. The typical length of stay is an average of 7 to 10 days.
If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency call 911 immediately
If you are in need of assistance please use the Samaritan Urgent Mental Health Hotline –
(315) 785-4516: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our staff includes Psychiatrists, Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses, Social Workers, Discharge Planning Coordinators and Safety Aides – all working together to create an environment of trust and safety. Treatment and care is provided using a multi-disciplinary approach including one-to-one contacts, educational groups (depression, stress/anger management, anxiety, etc.), recreational/expressive groups and leisure time activities including Yoga, T’ai-Chi and meditation. All patients are assigned to a treatment team who will review their case daily and patients will be invited to participate directly with their team. In addition, family meetings (with consent from the patient) and command meetings for our soldiers are a significant part of our treatment process.
At Samaritan, we know that quality care includes friends and family and we will make every effort to include them in our patients’ recovery. Within 24 hours of a patient’s admission, a staff member will be reaching out to the person that our patient has listed as their primary support in the community to assist in their care provided there is written authorization by the patient.
Special notice to our Patient’s families and loved ones:
Samaritan takes the safety and confidentiality of all our patients very serious. The patients on the IMHU are provided an even higher standard for the protection of their information. Therefore, the following processes are in place to meet those high standards. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
- The staff will not forward any calls received at the nurses station to the patient phones
- The patient must sign a release of information prior to the staff having the authority to acknowledge the patient has been admitted to the IMHU or for any other discussion related to that patient
- Upon admission, the patient will be given instructions to share with their family/supports who they wish to be involved in their care and treatment
- At any time during their stay on the IMHU, the patient has the right to revoke any previously authorized release of information which will end any communication from staff immediately
- Please know that due to the nature of our unit, we discourage flowers from being delivered to patients. If a patient happens to receive flowers while admitted, however, we will do our best to keep them in a place where the patient can enjoy them. Such as our nurse’s station where they are able to view them daily through the glass and at their discharge be given the flowers to take home.
Our Location
Samaritan Medical Center
830 Washington Street
Watertown, NY 13601
P. 315-785-4661
Hours:
Main Lobby: Monday – Friday • 5:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday • 6 a.m. – 8 p.m
Registration Desk: Monday – Friday • 6 a.m. – 6 p.m
Saturday/Sunday • 5:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m
