Clinical Programs

The University of Maryland Medical System, in conjunction with the Department of Psychiatry, operates a large clinical service program. Major divisions of this program include general adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry and community psychiatry. Drug and alcohol abuse services cut across all of these divisions. See below for descriptions of our various programs. If you are a patient seeking to schedule an appointment, click here.

Child and Adolescent Services

The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) operates a 12-bed inpatient behavioral health unit for children (age 12 and under), a child day hospital and an outpatient clinic. In FY‘08, the inpatient unit admitted 254 children, with an average length of stay of 7.4 days. The day hospital saw 1,353 visits and the outpatient clinic 5,073 visits. Over 50% of the admissions to this inpatient unit come from the Medical Center Emergency Department. Our child and adolescent programs also include the Center for Infant Studies, Center for Attention and Developmental Disorders and the School-Based Mental Health Program. This last program is one of two federally funded Centers for School-Based Mental Health in the United States and provides services to children and adolescents in more than 20 Baltimore City schools.

General Adult Services

The University of Maryland Medical Center operates 31 general adult inpatient beds, an adult day hospital and a general adult clinic. In FY’08, the inpatient units admitted 925 patients, with an average LOS of 11.0 days. The day hospital provided 1,125 visits, the outpatient clinic 4,513 visits and our Psychiatric Emergency service 2,547 visits. The Department is in the process of planning for more specialized programs within its adult service line, including a Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program and a Psychosis Care Program.

Consultation Liaison

The adult services also include a large consultation-liaison service for UMMC. The CL service provided initial consultation services to 1,051 inpatients at UMMC/ Shock Trauma during FY'08, 337 initial and follow-up consultations to patients in the UMMC Greenebaum Cancer Center, 140 consultations to the UMMC Joslin Center, provided medical crisis counseling to 250 outpatients and their families, had 1,677 patient visits in UMMC HIV program and provided 151 consultations to the UMMC Transplant Service (liver/kidney/heart/lung).

Geriatric Psychiatry

The University of Maryland Medical Center operates a 13-bed geriatric psychiatry inpatient service, a geriatrics day hospital and an outpatient clinic. In FY’08, the inpatient unit admitted 313 patients with an average LOS of 11.4 days. The day hospital provided 1,546 visits and the outpatient clinic 2,363 visits.

Community Psychiatry

The Department of Psychiatry, in conjunction with the State Mental Hygiene Administration and more recently with the University of Maryland Medical System (following privatization of State outpatient services in 1991), has a long history of serving patients in the public sector in the Baltimore metropolitan area. In FY '08 the Division of Community Psychiatry clinics provided 37,380 services to over 1550 patients. In addition, the division operates several specialized community services, including a Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) for adults and children (170 patients), a psychosocial rehabilitation program (21,450), a community support program (626 services), and a 52 bed residential program for homeless persons with severe mental illness.

Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

The Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse is a separate division within the Department, but its services cut across all other divisions. In FY’08, the division provided approximately 4,040 consultations to about 10% of the Medical Center’s patients. In addition, the Division provided 6,072 visits at its Intensive Outpatient Clinic, 4,035 visits at its Maternal Substance Abuse Clinic, and 9,000 visits in its Methadone Clinic (not including greater than 100,000 medication visits). Among the other innovative clinical programs offered by the Division with funding from the State of Maryland and Baltimore City are its Needle Exchange Program, Deaf Addiction Program, and Addiction Services for Post-Partum Women. This last program provides childcare services for addicted mothers while they attend treatment.

Behavioral Health Services

The Department of Psychiatry offers a variety of Behavioral Health Services including Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and Team Assistance Programs (TAP) to key organizations in the Baltimore area. The primary EAP/TAP programs that are directed by the Department include:

• University of Maryland Medical Center
• Baltimore Orioles
• University Physicians Incorporated
• University of Maryland, Baltimore 
• Other smaller groups are also covered

The Department of Psychiatry also manages the Behavioral Health Plan (BHP) for the Quality Care health benefit, which covers approximately 10,000 people associated with the University of Maryland Medical System (employees & family members). EAP services, substance abuse prevention, education and mental skills training are offered to sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles and all of the Orioles minor league teams.

Other organizations have contracted for psychiatric services such as: consultation, treatment, evaluation and medication management. These organizations include: the Tuerk House Drug Treatment Program, Guadenzia Drug Treatment Center and UCARE primary care sites in West Baltimore.

The Department is currently developing the capability for telepsychiatry services utilizing the latest telecommunications technology. The Child Psychiatry Division is using telepsychiatry to provide substance abuse education and mental health consultation to the Baltimore City School System and adolescent treatment programs.

Other Clinical Services

In addition to these clinical services operated by the University of Maryland Medical Center, Department faculty provide physician services to the Baltimore VA Medical Center (inpatient and outpatient) and the State-operated Walter P. Carter Center. Faculty participate in a private group practice as part of the School of Medicine’s University Physicians group. In FY’06 the Department faculty practice provided over 5,000 visits. Our practice group also functions as the behavioral health employee assistance program for the Baltimore Orioles.

Find out more about our clinical services and how to schedule an appointment.

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