Residency Training Program
in Psychiatry

Facilities

Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH)
 

YNHH is the major teaching and clinical research facility of the Yale University School of Medicine. It is a 900 bed general hospital with a large ambulatory service division. The Department of Psychiatry at YNHH has five major clinical components:

The Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital (YNHPH) provides inpatient services for acutely ill psychiatric patients. Treatment includes a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation which may include medical, neurological, psychometric, family, and vocational assessments.

Patients also receive intensive short-term treatment with the goal of alleviating symptoms and rapidly returning them to the community. Treatment is based on individual treatment plans and includes individual, group, family and milieu psychotherapy together with psychotropic medication. The average length of stay is approximately 10 days.

The Inpatient service includes:

The General Adult Inpatient Treatment Unit treats patients 18 years and older, and a specialized Geriatric Treatment Unit focuses on treatment of the elderly. The patients generally present with complex combinations of disorders reflecting psychotic, affective, cognitive, neurological and medical components. Treatment in the short-term setting focuses on rapid comprehensive diagnosis, symptom reduction, and pharmacological treatments. Psychosocial treatments emphasize individual and family crisis intervention. The Unit has developed considerable expertise in treating patients with previously treatment-refractory psychotic and affective illnesses.

The Dual Diagnosis Program is designed to evaluate and treat patients with both psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. Detoxification, pharmacotherapy, relapse prevention, social problem-solving, stress management and family education are important components of the program.

The Adolescent Inpatient Treatment Unit conducts short term treatment of adolescent and young adult patients with a wide range of diagnoses including affective disorders, psychoses, developmental disorders, conduct disorders, and psychiatric disorders combined with substance abuse. Comprehensive neuropsychiatric assessment and treatment, intensive family consultation and crisis intervention are the core treatment modalities. After discharge, some patients continue to be followed in a brief (2 to 4 week) after-school partial hospital program, which is designed to help patients make the transition from inpatient treatment to their home environments. Throughout the course of treatment clinical interventions are carefully integrated with the patient's educational program.

The Consultation Service provides psychiatric consultation for all adult medical, surgical, and obstetrical/gynecological services at YNHH. Each psychiatric consultation consists of a thorough assessment and the formulation of a treatment regimen based on a careful differential diagnosis, an understanding of relevant psychosocial factors, and a knowledge of psychopharmacology.

William Sledge, Assistant Chief of Psychiatry, YNHH

The Psychiatric Emergency Service is known as the Crisis Intervention Unit. Located in the Emergency Department on the first floor of the hospital, staff provide emergency evaluation and crisis management for approximately 4,000 patient visits per year. The CIU does rapid diagnostic assessments and formulates disposition plans for patients with a wide variety of diagnoses.

The Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic receives many referrals from other YNHH clinics for psychiatric consultation. It provides several treatment modalities: diagnostic evaluation, individual psychotherapy, group therapy, family therapy, and psychopharmacologic treatment.

The Adult, Adolescent, and Dual Diagnosis Partial Hospital Programs are designed to provide partial hospital treatment for patients with a variety of psychiatric disorders. The Partial Hospitals provide crisis intervention and rehabilitation programs. Each offers strong programs in group and family therapy.

The Community Work Adjustment Programs provide individually tailored rehabilitative treatment with an emphasis on the development of social, vocational and living skills for adult patients with severe and prolonged psychiatric disorders.

Though the units and programs described above vary in focus and responsibilities, the faculty share the view that clinical experience is the foundation for learning and professional development. Intensive work with patients manifesting more severe forms of pathology refines knowledge and skills that will ultimately apply to any specialization area within psychiatry.

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