Specialized Inpatient Services For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illness

Now entering its fifth year of operation, the Dual Diagnosis Inpatient Unit at Trinitas Hospital is completely dedicated to providing acute psychiatric treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. The 10-bed secure in-patient unit is the first and only of its kind in New Jersey for this population. Individuals can be admitted on a voluntary or commitment basis.

The unit is highly specialized and employs a carefully structured treatment approach. The primary mission of the unit is stabilization, resolution of acute risk of harm to self or others, and coordination of continuing care needs with family and community care providers.

The unit is staffed by an interdisciplinary team of professionals who are recognized for their expertise and years of experience in treating individuals with mental illness and concurrent developmental disability. Treatment team members work collaboratively in designing an individualized plan of care for each patient employing a range of biological, social and psychological interventions. The team consists of a psychiatrist (recognized for her expertise in treating this population), psychiatric residents, nurses, mental heath workers, social workers, behavior specialists, occupational, physical, art and recreation therapists. To compliment a holistic approach to assessment and treatment, a consulting internist helps to address the medical problems of the patients the unit serves. The treatment approach consists of exploring crisis precipitants, evaluating and adjusting medications, and providing activities and behavioral interventions especially suited to patients with developmental disabilities and acute psychiatric problems.

The Trinitas Dual Diagnosis Unit is committed to providing high quality care to promote a successful return to the community. Over 90% of our patients return to some form of community living at discharge! We hold regular meetings to coordinate treatment and discharge needs with outside agencies and families during the patient's hospital stay. Because of these integrated discharge planning efforts, most patients treated in this unit remain stable in the community for significant periods of time. Our rate of readmission within 30 days is very low when compared to other similar inpatient facilities.

Trinitas' Statewide Clinical Consultation and Training Program (SCCAT) and Integrated Service Delivery Team (ISDT) not only work in close collaboration with our unit during admission, but also continue to work with the outside agencies, families and group homes upon discharge to ensure community integration and continued stabilization. This, we believe, is a critical to the successful outcomes we have observed over our four years of operation.

Should you have any questions about this unique and highly effective program, please call Mike Guglielmino, LCSW, Program Director at
908-994-7275 or you may e-mail your inquiries to Mr. Guglielmino at mguglielmino@trinitas.org.