Services for Special Needs Populations

Many of those who use the services of the Department of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry are individuals and families whose circumstances are extremely difficult due to developmental disabilities. For the developmentally disabled, Trinitas Regional Medical Center's Statewide Clinical Consultation and Training (SCCAT) program offers key services to those over the age of 18, including assessments, linkage to mental health and behavioral services in the community and crisis mobile response.

Developmentally-disabled individuals living within their communities in all 21 New Jersey counties are eligible for this service. An Integrated Service Delivery Team can assist with case management based on referrals it receives from Essex, Union and Somerset counties as well as Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean counties.

SCCAT works very closely with the Trinitas inpatient staff. When hospitalization for this population is necessary, SCCAT facilitates admission to the Dual Diagnosis Mentally Ill/Developmentally Disabled Psychiatric Inpatient unit. This 10-bed Acute Unit is designed to meet the special needs of this population by preventing long-term institutionalization and also maintaining community placement by providing short-term acute psychiatric inpatient services. For children and adolescents who are dually diagnosed, the child inpatient unit also offers services geared toward servicing these needs.