At the Mount Sinai Health System, we offer a variety of emergency and inpatient services.

Emergency Services

If your child is having a mental health emergency—they are in a dangerous or life-threatening situation—we can help. The Mount Sinai Hospital has a Psychiatry Emergency Department that is open 24/7. We can evaluate your child and offer immediate help. We also provide these services at Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West.

We start by checking whether your child has a medical condition that we should address. Then we see how to help with any psychiatric issue. The conditions we see most often in the Psychiatric Emergency Department are:

• Anxiety
• Bipolar disorder
• Cognitive and memory problems
• Depression
• Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia
• Substance abuse disorders

After evaluation, we may refer your child for intensive outpatient care through the Crisis Service at Mount Sinai Morningside. If the problem is more concerning, we may recommend the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit at Mount Sinai Morningside.

Inpatient Services

Mount Sinai Morningside is home to one of the few inpatient psychiatric units for children and adolescents in New York City. Mental health issues are significantly more common and increasingly severe among children and adolescents today compared to previous generations. According to the CDC, data indicates a rise in anxiety, depression, and suicide risk. This trend reflects that young people are navigating unprecedented levels of emotional distress, necessitating increased access to mental health services and support systems.

Our Facility

The inpatient program at Mount Sinai Morningside is a 19-bed facility for children and adolescents–ages five to 17–with a highly structured program of therapy, medical care, school, hygiene, and visitation. Our interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, clinical psychologists, therapists, social workers, and support staff are here to help patients recover quickly and safely in a warm, dignified environment.

Our inpatient services help patients who are experiencing new or worsening severe symptoms of depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, or need detoxification from substances and want to begin or re-start their recovery journey with inpatient rehabilitation. Stays are typically one to two weeks, but are tailored to the patient’s needs. Patients and parents work with our team of providers and staff to create an individualized plan for treatment and recovery from acute and severe symptoms of illness. We offer inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, inpatient detoxification from substances, and inpatient rehabilitation from substances.

When to Seek Treatment for a Child or Adolescent

If a child or adolescent is an acute danger to themselves or others, hospitalization creates a safe environment and provides intensive care to stabilize the patient. If a child is exhibiting suicidal, aggressive, or manic behavior, our emergency department is the appropriate place to determine whether they need hospitalization.

Hospitalization can help children and adolescents regain the ability to function at school and in the home. So, seeking inpatient treatment might be the right course of action when there is an acute change in mental status.

Hospitalization may also be the right option when a child or adolescent experiences acute side effects from medication or if medication has not been effective. In this case, there are clear benefits to changing medication in the inpatient environment.

Our Program

Patients benefit from our highly scheduled, structured environment. Activities begin in the morning with hygiene, breakfast, and group therapy. While on the inpatient unit, children will have morning and afternoon sessions, often following along with their own school virtually, so they do not fall behind. Patients are encouraged to get out of their rooms, be active, and not isolate.

Every patient’s treatment plan focuses on their specific diagnosis and symptoms, with additional services depending on their primary clinical needs.

• Comprehensive Evaluation: Each patient on admission will receive a comprehensive evaluation followed by daily assessments to determine an appropriate treatment plan, led by an attending physician specializing in the acute care of patients with mental illness or substance use. Patients will be seen by a physician every day.
• Medication-Based Treatment: The attending physician and team will determine if the patient needs medication to help recovery. If detoxification from substances is needed, the team will start the patient on an appropriate medical detoxification regimen. 
• Individual Therapy/Counseling: Daily visits with doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, and other clinical staff provide each patient with ongoing counseling and therapy.
• Group Therapy: Experienced group therapists lead a wide variety of daily group therapeutic activities. Specialized therapies for groups and individuals include art and music therapies; substance use disorder counseling; dialectical behavioral therapy; and spiritual/pastoral counseling.
• Physical Health Needs: We will also take care of active and acute medical issues patients may have during their stay. Our consulting pediatrician will see patients on as needed basis. Acute medical conditions are urgently addressed and attended to by the pediatricians from the Pediatric ED. When indicated our team will consult with pediatric specialties like neurology, endocrinology, cardiology and others.
• After Care Planning: Our team works closely with our patients, their loved ones, and their providers in the community to develop a safe transition after hospitalization.  A typical discharge plan may include many intensive and outpatient services available at the Mount Sinai-Behavioral Health Center
• School Based Services: During their stay at our inpatient unit, children and adolescents will receive daily school services at the appropriate grade level. Out team consists of NYC Department of Education certified teachers with qualifications and expertise in special education. Additional academic work assigned by the patient's school can be brought by parents. Patients will receive the instructions and assistance while completing their assignments. Families should be reassured that their children will not lose any school credits during their hospitalization.

Visitation

The structure of our program is designed to give patients the best chance for recovery. Our unit offers ample times for visitation. Visitation is allowed only during specific times to support the therapeutic activities of the program and avoid distraction.

Visitation is available during designated midday and early evening times. Parents with custodial rights are allowed to visit, as well as other adults ages 21 and over, provided the parent and patient both consents. Non-custodial parents may visit with the consent of the custodial parent and the patient. Approved visitors may visit every day. Siblings under the age of 21 may not visit, but may call during specific hours.

Phone privileges are also regulated. Patients have specific times they can use phones that are available on the unit. Mobile phones are not allowed.

Admissions

The inpatient psychiatry program only accepts patients who have been referred through an emergency department. Referring doctors should direct patients to the emergency department at Mount Sinai Morningside. It is vital that patients are determined to be medically stable before being admitted to our unit. Patients will be seen by an emergency physician in the ED and cleared medically of any acute medical issues such as diabetes, infections, or substance overdose. The emergency department staff will also document all medications the patient is currently taking.