Bigger Trauma and Wellness Center Launched
05/13/2009
-- Center Sees More Patients Affected by Economic Downturn --
Contact: Terry Ezekial
(914) 925-5051
New York, NY, April 1, 2009 - Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers today celebrated the opening of the Trauma and Wellness Center in its new expanded space at 170 Broadway in Lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center site. The Trauma and Wellness Center is dedicated to facilitating healing and building resiliency in children, adults and families affected by mental health problems, especially those resulting from psychological trauma.
The Center began in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and assisted thousands of people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and other trauma symptoms. It has since been licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health as a fee for service program for the evaluation and treatment of individuals affected by other tragedies and trauma, including new mental health services for veterans with PTSD and mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and their families in collaboration with veterans organizations. Located near Wall Street and the Financial District, the Center also has seen an increasing number of individuals who lost or are in jeopardy of loosing their job or seen colleagues laid off.
'We are pleased to be able to continue the long tradition of providing essential behavioral health care to people affected by traumatic events,' said Spencer Eth, MD, Medical Director of Saint Vincent's Behavioral Health Services. 'Currently our services are needed by veterans returning from combat and their families, and people struggling with the economic recession.'
The Trauma and Wellness Center uses best practices in providing assessment, therapeutic interventions, education, and collaboration with programs throughout the world. In celebration of the new clinical space, Saint Vincent's held an open house to allow visitors to view the new offices, meet the staff, learn more about the services provided, and enjoy healthy snacks and stress reduction techniques, such as ear acupuncture, Reiki, and chair massage.
Saint Vincent's is grateful for the support of various funding partners including Project Liberty, SAMHSA, the US Department of Justice, the New York State Crime Victims Board, the American Red Cross, and The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund to support the services it provides to those who cannot afford them; the Center is also licensed as a fee for service program for those with insurance.
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About Saint Vincent's
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent's) is anchored by St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, an academic medical center located in Greenwich Village and the only emergency room on the Westside of Manhattan from Midtown to Tribeca, St. Vincent's Westchester, a behavioral health hospital in Westchester County, and continuing care services that include two skilled nursing facilities in Brooklyn, another on Staten Island, a hospice, and a home health agency serving the Metropolitan New York area. Its behavioral health services also provide supportive housing programs for people with mental illness throughout the Metropolitan area. Saint Vincent's is the designated provider for the New York and New Jersey region of the US Family Health Plan sponsored by the US Department of Defense.
Saint Vincent's serves as the academic medical center of New York Medical College in New York City. The healthcare organization is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn and the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York.
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