Behavioral Health

Suburban doctor discusses care with behavioral health patient

Suburban Hospital provides an array of comprehensive behavioral health services for individuals with emotional problems, mental illness and substance use disorders, as well as services designed to foster mental health. Our treatment philosophy emphasizes respect for patients and their families with the goal of providing care in the least restrictive environment possible and within the local community.

Our primary service area is lower Montgomery County; however, we are recognized within the greater metropolitan D.C. area as a regional provider of mental health and addiction services. All behavioral programs are licensed by the State of Maryland and are accredited by The Joint Commission. Located at convenient sites in Montgomery County, Suburban Hospital's behavioral health programs offer a broad range of services for adolescents and adults, including inpatient services, adult partial hospitalization program, crisis intervention and addiction treatment.

Mission

Our mission is to provide quality, comprehensive care to individuals with appropriate psychiatric, medical, and educational services that support their recovery and achievement of the highest possible functioning.

Departments Included:

  • Inpatient Psychiatry (ages 16 and above)
  • Crisis Intervention Services (all ages)
  • Outpatient services:
    • Partial Hospitalization Program (adult)
    • Addiction Treatment Center (ages 13 and above)

Inpatient Unit

Our 24-bed Behavioral Inpatient Unit for ages 16 and older provides a range of psychiatric, addiction and dual-diagnosis services. The unit is a voluntary, secured unit providing short-term evaluation, stabilization and treatment. The treatment philosophy emphasizes respect for patients and their families with a goal to provide care in the least restrictive setting possible and within the local community. The treatment provided is goal-directed and supported by a multidisciplinary staff.

Crisis Intervention

The Crisis Intervention Service (CIS) at Suburban Hospital began in November 1994 to provide specialized mental health assessments in the Emergency Department. Today, the Crisis Intervention Service offers psychiatric and addiction (i.e., alcohol and substance abuse) assessments of patients in an emergency department. CIS staff can provide emergency assessments for patients referred by behavioral organizations and community therapists who may not be immediately available and need their patients seen in an emergency setting.

The CIS Team is comprised of licensed clinical social workers and licensed professional counselors. All patients are first screened and cleared medically by the Emergency Department staff before an assessment by the CIS. Patients may also be referred by themselves, family members, managed care company, healthcare professional, or via a medical consultation request.

The CIS team acts as consultants to physicians by providing crisis intervention and psychiatric/addiction assessments. The goal is to place patients in the least restrictive treatment setting, to offer stabilization and a carefully designed appropriate treatment plan and referral. The CIS team also collaborates closely with outpatient providers and case managers. Since its inception, the CIS has improved:

  • Placement of patients at the appropriate level of care
  • Patient care due to decreased response time
  • Collaboration with outpatient treatment providers
  • Access for patients to county resources

CIS staff coordinates with the referring agency/person to ensure continuity of care. During business hours, the CIS staff can be reached at 301-896-7315. For help or assistance after hours and on weekends, you may call the hospital operator at 301-896-3100 and ask for a crisis team member.

For information on suicide prevention, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Outpatient Services

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Suburban Hospital offers comprehensive psychotherapy treatment to patients in the local community. The program provides services to patients ages 18 years old (who are not enrolled in high school) and older who are experiencing acute or disabling symptoms due to exacerbation of a psychiatric disorder. The patient needs to be able to maintain a safety contract and be able to use and benefit from intensive psycho- dynamic group therapy processes. At PHP, our patients receive individual psychosocial assessment, individual treatment plan, and medication monitoring. Our multidisciplinary treatment team evaluates each patient’s individual progress and response to treatment weekly. This Outpatient Program offers Partial Hospitalization for 6 hours per day 5 days/week. We offer free lunch to our patients during the length of the program.

Our services are approved for coverage by most insurance companies and managed care plans. For more information, please call 301-896-2586.

The Addiction Treatment Center (ATC)

ATC offers a comprehensive program for people suffering from substance use disorders. Services include evaluations, Educational Programs, and Structured Outpatient Counseling and Concerned Persons Educational Series, with an emphasis on Relapse Prevention. Treatment at the ATC is designed to lead the patient to abstinence and stable recovery through completion of the following goals:

  • the patient learns about the nature of addictive disease, becoming familiar with its etiology, signs, symptoms, probable cause and prognosis.
  • the patient applies this knowledge to his/her experience through process of self-diagnosis, which motivates compliance with treatment and increases desire for long-term recovery.
  • The patient develops and implements a course of effective treatment, including involvement in continuing care, self-help groups, relapse prevention and other services as appropriate.

Our Outpatient Addiction Treatment Center can be reached at 301-896-2036.