Intensive Treatment Unit

Director: Francis Mondimore, M.D.

OVERVIEW

The Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) is a five bed unit that provides medically supervised rapid detoxification for persons with addictions who are in crisis but who are ready to do whatever it takes to start living life drug-free. The unit focuses on the treatment of opioid (narcotic) addiction, using tapering doses of buprenophine supplemented with symptom specific treatment of withdrawal symptoms. Patients with cocaine, alcohol and other addictions can be treated as well.

Patients have complete physical and psychiatric evaluations on admission and receive addiction education from staff and former addicts, attend twelve-step meetings and have available a wide range of informational books and videos on addiction during this intensive three-day detoxification program. The ITU is staffed by a multidisciplinary treatment team of psychiatrists, resident physicians, nurses, and social workers.  Patients are seen daily by an attending psychiatrist in order to identify and begin treatment for any co-existing psychiatric conditions such as a depressive illness.

“Recovery is your Focus” is the ITU motto, and patients do not leave the unit except to attend 12-step meetings and no visitors are permitted. The ITU provides information and advice on in-patient and outpatient substance abuse rehabilitation facilities to patients who must be ready, willing and able to use this information to make their own arrangements for the next steps in their recovery. 

ADMISSIONS

For information about arranging an admission please contact the Psychiatry Admissions Office during business hours at 410-955-5104 or visit the Adult Psychiatry Admissions Page for Johns Hopkins Hospital.