Director: Karen Swartz, M.D.

Admissions

To arrange an admission, contact the admission coordinator at 410-955-5104 or fax 410-955-6155. For further information regarding the inpatient admissions, please visit  Adult Psychiatry Admissions for Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Location

This 11-bed inpatient specialty service is located at Johns Hopkins Hospital on our East Baltimore campus. It is on the fourth floor of the Meyer building, accommodating 22 patients (11 with mood disorders as the primary diagnosis).

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The Doctors

The 11 patients on the mood disorders service are cared for by a Johns Hopkins psychiatrist who is a member of the faculty. This attending psychiatrist is assisted by a resident, who is a psychiatrist-in-training.  Each morning the psychiatrists meet briefly with each patient to discuss symptoms and their treatment plan. The psychiatrists then meet with the treatment team, which consists of a social worker, occupational therapist, and charge nurse. This meeting is called rounds, and during this meeting the team discusses and makes decisions regarding the medication and medical and psychosocial management of the patient.  Patients meet with their resident physician at other times during the day to discuss their progress and treatment plan. 

Social Workers

The social workers are specialists in working with patients and families who are coping with mood disorders. Early in the admission a social worker will meet with the patient and contact the family to plan for the longitudinal care of the patient. The social worker participates in developing a treatment plan with the treatment team. The social worker may offer individual, family, and group therapy as needed. The goal is to work with the patient, the family and outpatient care providers to maximize chances of success following discharge.  

Occupational Therapists

The occupational therapist, known as the OT, has a specialized education to work with patients who suffer from mood disorders. The OT evaluates each patient within 48 hours of admission to the inpatient unit to develop a schedule of groups for the patient to attend. The OT conducts the groups and then attends rounds to discuss with the treatment team how s/he feels the patients are performing in areas that are affected by depression or bipolar disorder such as concentration, irritability, and problem solving. 
 
Click here for more information about occupational therapy

Nurses

Our mood disorders inpatient specialty service has registered nurses who are responsible for the care of the patients 24 hours a day. The ratio of patient to nurse is usually four patients to one nurse. On each shift a patient is assigned a nurse who will introduce themselves to each of their patients. They educate patients and families about the effects of mood disorders through individual sessions, family visits, creative educational support activities, and therapy groups. As an integral part of the treatment team, nurses project a positive vision of the outcome of patients' treatment. They are also knowledgeable about caring for patients who have significant medical needs. The nurses work together as part of the treatment team and are proud of the quality of care that they bring to their patients.