Affiliate of Zirinsky Mood Disorders Center
Department of Psychiatry
Beth Israel Medical Center, New York NY 10003
Our Services
Our treatment approach is based on an understanding of bipolar disorder as a life-long, chronic illness with unpredictable relapses and remissions. In this way, it is similar to cardio-vascular disease or diabetes. And just as these illnesses are often openly discussed with close others, we believe that the treatment of bipolar disorder should include family members and loved ones who want to participate.
From decades of combined experience in treating bipolar disorder, we have observed that when willing families are excluded from treatment there can be unnecessary pain, frustration, isolation and misunderstanding. The primary caregivers, demoralized, may themselves suffer from a variety of psychiatric symptoms resulting from stress. Children may feel confused and scared. All of these factors make the involvement of family and loved ones a necessary part of the treatments that we offer.
Consultations for Patients and Family
Consultations for Individual Patients
Consultations for Family Members
Outpatient
At the Family Center, if you have bipolar disorder the first step is intake. Your doctor will interview both you and the support person(s) accompanying you to your appointment to get a complete understanding of your life experiences and psychiatric history. This doctor will become your Family Psychiatrist.
After the intake, this is what you and your loved ones can expect:
- Open communication about symptoms, medication and other aspects of treatment. (Confidentiality still applies to personal issues not related to the illness.)
- Weekly or biweekly doctor visits by the patient for both medication management and supportive therapy.
- Family sessions geared to educate the patient and support persons about bipolar illness and its treatment; how to recognize symptoms, identify triggers and warning signs; and how to communicate openly about them.
- Assessment of the emotional health of caregiver/spouse by the Family Psychiatrist and that of your children on the first visit and periodically thereafter to ensure that all family members are bearing up under the sometimes unavoidable stress.
- Referrals to a family therapist to help with family issues that go beyond the immediate matters of how to deal with bipolar illness.
- Special attention to helping children understand how bipolar illness can temporarily change the way a parent acts. In addition, counseling will be provided for the non-bipolar parent on how to protect children from the potentially damaging consequences of a bipolar parent whose illness is not always under control. Referral to experienced child psychiatrist if needed.
- Referrals of children with early cognitive, emotional, or behavioral problems for evaluation and follow-up with a child psychiatrist.
- Information about the community of bipolar self-help organizations that provide support groups and day treatment programs.
- Outpatient rates vary depending on the needs of the patient. We accept Medicare. We also offer the option of receiving budget-friendly long-term treatment for those patients who are interested in participating in our Family Inclusive Treatment (FIT) research program. Click here to learn more about the FIT treatment option.
(For information about home care, entitlements and legal matters, advocacy, etc., see the Resources page.)
To arrange an appointment contact Sally Blanco-Lutzen at (212) 420-2302 or sblanco-lutzen@chpnet.org.
Consultations
The Family Center for Bipolar offers evaluations, conducted by a team of professionals for either a diagnosis or a second opinion on treatment.
- If you think that you, or someone you know, has Bipolar Disorder, you can meet with a Family Center psychiatrist for the purpose of diagnosis.
- If you, or someone you know, has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder but the treatment does not seem effective, a Family Center psychiatrist can offer a second opinion on both the diagnosis and treatment.
What to expect from a consultation:
- FIT consultations take between two and two and a half hours.
- The team may include a psychopharmacologist, family therapist, addiction psychiatrist, and/or child adolescent psychiatrist as needed.
- We encourage parents, siblings, spouses and/or friends to offer their perspectives on the patient's condition.
- The cost for this service is $1000, no insurance is accepted, and we ask that you make the amount payable in cash, check or credit card on the day of the visit. A written report detailing the team’s conclusions may be provided upon request for an additional fee.
To arrange an appointment contact Sally Blanco-Lutzen at (212) 420-2302 or sblanco-lutzen@chpnet.org.
Consultations for Individual Patients
The Family Center for Bipolar offers an individual consultation service, conducted by a Center psychiatrist. This service is a one-time consultation for people who already have a psychiatrist and want a second opinion on their diagnosis and/or treatment approach.
- If you have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder or another mood-spectrum disorder, you can meet with a Family Center psychiatrist to discuss your concerns and recieve answers about your diagnosis.
- If you have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder or another mood-spectrum disorder and are unsure about the treatmentment course that you were reccomended, a Family Center psychiatrist can address your concerns as well as discuss alternate treatment options.
- The cost of this service is $350, no insurance is accepted, and we ask that you make the amount payable in cash, check or credit card on the day of the visit.
To arrange an appointment contact Sally Blanco-Lutzen at (212) 420-2302 or sblanco-lutzen@chpnet.org.
Consultations for Family Members
The Family Center for Bipolar offers consultations for family members, conducted by a Center psychiatrist. This service is designed to help family members and support persons find the best treatment options for their loved ones with Bipolar Spectrum Disorder and to improve adherence to those treatments.
- If you think that your relative or someone you know has Bipolar Disorder, you can meet with a Family Center psychiatrist to discuss your concerns with a Family Center psychiatrist.
- If your relative or someone you know, has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder but is reluctant to come to terms with either their diagnosis or treatment, a Family Center psychiatrist can help you design strategies to encourage them to accept their illness and seek treatment.
- Family member consultations take between one and one and a half hours. The cost for this service is $350, no insurance is accepted, and we ask that you make the amount payable in cash, check or credit card on the day of the visit.
To arrange an appointment contact Sally Blanco-Lutzen at (212) 420-2302 or sblanco-lutzen@chpnet.org.
Group Therapy
The Family Center offers two weekly support groups for our clients.
Patient Support Group
This interactive therapy group is designed for individuals diagnosed with a Bipolar Spectrum Disorder. The Family Center clinician works with group members to help develop a better ability for emotional regulation, improve interpersonal functioning, and provide social support.
Family Member Support Group
This therapy group is designed for family member and support persons of Family Center patients. Bipolar illness affects not just the individual but all their loved ones as well. This group offers an open forum where people that are being affected by their loved ones' bipolar illness can come together and share their frustrations, concerns, hopes, and things they've found helpful in coping with this situation. The Family Center therapist will work together with the group to faciliate better understanding of the illness, suggest more effective coping techniques, and help members create more satisfying relationships with their loved ones.
For more information about group therapy, including the days and times the groups meet, please contact Sally Blanco-Lutzen at (212) 420-2302 or sblanco-lutzen@chpnet.org.
Inpatient
Patients in an acute phase of the illness can be hospitalized in a general psychiatric unit.
Although the psychiatric inpatient units at Beth Israel are not exclusive to Family Center patients, clients of the Family Center will be continuously monitored by one of the Center's Bipolar Specialists during their stay in the hospital.
The Bipolar Specialist will be an integral part of the patient's treatment team which will also include an attending Beth Israel psychiatrist, a resident psychiatrist, a social worker, an occupational therapist, a psychologist and a nurse. The Bipolar Specialist assigned to the case will help to inform the patient's treatment plan, maintain close contact with the patient's family during his/her hospitalization, and facilitate the transition from inpatient to outpatient treatment after discharge.
Patients from the Family Center receive inpatient treatment that is unique in three ways:
- In the spirit of the Center, from the outset the patients’ treatment is designed and conducted in close communication with patients’ families. While the exact nature of doctor-family interaction is determined on an individual basis, a family representative is always informed of medication changes and is in frequent contact with the treatment team.
- The psychopharmacological treatment of acute mania is conducted according to the method developed and used for many years by Dr. Igor Galynker, the Center's director. This intensive treatment targets not only patients’ psychiatric symptoms but also focuses on their arousal. This approach results in quicker treatment response, fewer relapses, and fewer re-admissions after discharge and is being examined in clinical trials.
- Treatment by the inpatient team is conducted in collaboration with one of the Center psychiatrists who while caring for the patient who is hospitalized also supports members of the family through frequent discourse. At discharge the Center psychiatrist facilitates transition to outpatient treatment at the Family Center and Family Inclusive Treatment is implemented thus ensuring continuity of care.
There are three inpatient units at Beth Israel, each with a different profile. The Psychiatry Department publishes a full description of the three units here. Briefly, the three units are divided as follows:
- The General Psychiatric Unit offers treatment for adolescents and adults ages 14-64.
- The Adult and Geropsychiatry Unit offers treatment primarily for adults ages 65 and older.
- The Addiction Psychiatry Unit offers treatment primarily to those suffering from a concurrent addiction and a psychiatric illness.
Depending on the patient’s age and the nature of the acute episode, he/she will be admitted to the appropriate unit and the treatment will be tailored accordingly.
For more information about inpatient treatment and how a Family Center psychiatrist can be helpful during the hospitalization please contact Sally Blanco-Lutzen at (212) 420-2302 or sblanco-lutzen@chpnet.org.
