Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Units
The Child Psychiatric Inpatient Unit had its inception in 1920, when 15 children and adolescents were first admitted as psychiatric patients to a separate area of the Quiet Women’s Psychiatric Unit at Bellevue Hospital. A growing demand for services led to the opening in 1933 of the Children’s Psychiatric Service, which became the first center in the nation to treat autistic children and to train child psychiatrists. The Adolescent Psychiatric Ward was established in 1937 in response to the need for a separate unit for teenagers of both sexes, who had until then been admitted to the children’s ward.
Dr. Lauretta Bender served as senior psychiatrist in the Children’s Psychiatric Service from 1933-1956. Under her guidance, the service introduced play therapy groups and the use of puppet play into the treatment of patients, developed the first Autistic Nursery, began implementing family guidance as an essential component of treatment, and became home to the first public school for emotionally disturbed children located within a public hospital. In addition, psychiatric research conducted at both units in later years led to significant advances in the areas of child psychopharmacology, early-onset schizophrenia, adolescent conduct disorders and dissociative disorders. The units continue to function as an active training ground for psychiatry residents and fellows, psychology interns and externs, medical students and visiting international trainees.
Today, the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Units are acute-care facilities that serve patients 5 through 17 years of age who present with a broad range of extreme psychiatric, developmental and learning disorders. The units strive to consider all factors that can affect the adjustment and psychopathology as well as the evaluation and treatment of patients, including psychiatric, socio-cultural and family variables. Patients receive intensive, individualized attention to their multiple needs. The interdisciplinary staff works together closely to provide patients with a therapeutic milieu that incorporates academic and recreational activities as well as parental psycho-education in the form of the weekly “Family Night” led by the Nursing staff. An on-site special education school, P.S.35M, provides special education teachers and related services staff to all patients.
Externs are responsible for providing direct care to patients on both units in the form of psychological assessment, collateral interviews, and participation in unit social skills groups. Psychological testing is tailored to the needs of the individual patients, and may include cognitive, projective, and neuropsychological measures. Each unit also provides opportunities for training in clinical evaluation and interviewing of new patients. Trainees attend and participate in treatment team meetings with interdisciplinary staff, conduct special education classroom observations, hold and/or attend collateral meetings with caregivers and outside agencies, and attend related case conferences and didactic seminars. Opportunities for co-leading a psychotherapy group on the adolescent unit are available as staffing and unit needs permit. Externs in the child unit may also participate in the twice weekly social skills group.
While this externship can be challenging, trainees may expect a very rich, diversified and rewarding training experience. Supervision is provided daily in individual and group formats. Within the parameters of these requirements, each trainee’s experience will be individualized according to interest, training needs, graduate program requirements, and patient needs.
Training Period and Time Commitment:
Academic Year (early September to June) and summer (June through August) externships available. At least two full days a week required.
Qualifications:
Open to third and fourth year graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. or Psy.D. programs in Clinical, School, or Counseling Psychology.
Application Procedure:
Send letter of interest, c.v., two letters of recommendation, and a psychological test report to:
Cynthia de Jesus, M.A.
Bellevue Hospital Center
27th Street and First Avenue
Administration Building, Room A-259
New York, New York 10016
Deadline is February 1. Applications will not be reviewed before January 15. E-mail questions to Ms. De Jesus at Cynthia.dejesus@bellevue.nychhc.org