Buffalo Psychiatric Center

Sarah Brothwell

Mission Statement BPC’s mission is to operate in collaboration with the local mental heath system of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus counties to serve individuals with serious mental illness in a way that empowers the recipient and fosters hope and recovery.

Motto, “Dedicated to partnership in hope and recovery”

Guiding Principals: Customer focus and empowerment

Hope and recovery are achievable

Excellence of service

Safe and therapeutic environment

Responsibility to the total community

Locations/Programs Outpatient Services

Butler Rehabilitation Center- 400 Forest Ave Buffalo, NY 14213

Assertive Community Treatment Program- Provides recipients with the tools to obtain and maintain housing, employment and relationships

Butler Recovery and Treatment Center- Provides a broad range of mental health services to meet the needs of adults with a diagnosis of mental illness

Elmwood Wellness Center- Provides opportunities to improve fitness and general health and well-being

Center for Self Discovery- Peer-Run services which links people to the greater community to help people find their place in the larger world

Locations/Programs Cont.

Del-Nor Recovery and Treatment Center- 737 Delaware Ave Buffalo, NY 14209. Serves adults specializing in working with the geriatric population

GOALS Center- 45 Oak Street Buffalo, NY 14203. GOALS provides adults with mental illness Guidance and Opportunity and students Act, Learn and Succeed

Lakeside Recovery and Treatment Center- 355 Central Avenue Fredonia, NY 14063. Provides diagnostic and treatment services for mentally ill individuals

Lancaster Recovery and Treatment Center- 525 Pavement Road Lancaster, NY 14086. Provides a broad range of services for adults with mental illness and their families

Locations/ Services Cont. Miller-Broadway Recovery and Treatment Center-1384

Broadway Buffalo, NY 14212. Provides a combination of diagnostic and treatment services with the goal of helping individuals with mental illness

North Tonawanda Recovery and Treatment Center- 15 Webster Street North Tonawanda NY, 14120. Provides verbal therapy, medication therapy, medication education, symptom management, health screening and referral and psychiatric rehabilitation readiness

Ransomville Recovery and Treatment Center- 3509 Ransomville Rd Ransomville, NY 14131. Located within Ransomville Manor Adult Home. Specializes in aging population and those with multiple medical needs

Zoar Valley Recovery and Treatment Center- Taylor-Hollow Rd Collins, NY 14034. Provides a broad range of mental health services for adults with a diagnosis of mental illness

Locations/ Programs Cont.Residential Services- Provides living opportunities in a variety

of community locations that support and assist individuals with their recovery. Experience staff promote empowerment, choice and independence. Individual service plans are implemented to improve independence, choice and outcome.

RCCA Residence (most supportive)Cudmore Hights Residential Care Center for Adults. Located on the main campus

SOCROmsted Residence

Grant St. Residence

Waterfront Residence in Celoron

Strozzi Community Residence

Supported Housing- (least supportive) Individuals are able to have their own apartments in the neighborhood. Provided with rent subsidy, peer specialist and staff support

Locations/Programs Cont.

Inpatient Services

Strozzi Building-400 Forest Ave Buffalo, NY 14213. Inpatient services are provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are 186 beds and seven units.

This is where I am interning (;

Comprised of 7 inpatient units- Divided by gender, severity of illness and type of illness.

There are currently 170 consumers in the Strozzi Building and 3,700 clients being treated by BPC.

History In 1880 the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane was the fifth state hospital to be built and the first to be opened in the western end of the state.

In 1890 the name was changed to the Buffalo State Hospital.

From the start, the hospital was overcrowded. By the 1950’s, there were nearly 4000 residents in the Forest Avenue buildings.

In the late 1950’s early 1960’s began a major change in philosophy regarding the treatment of mental illness. Individuals with mental illness should not be removed from their communities, but rather they should be treated in the least restrictive environment.

History Cont. In 1963 the Community Mental Health Act paved the way for community mental health centers to replace the state hospitals.

At the same time “deinstitutionalization” allowed individuals who no longer needed institutionalization care because of new medications and/or because they did not pose a threat to themselves or others to be released into the community.

In 1975 The Buffalo State Hospital changed its name to the Buffalo Psychiatric Center. At this time it began to organize its own system of outpatient services in order to follow the patients it was discharging into the community.

Organizational Structure Funded by New York State Government

Thomas Dodson- Executive Director Dr. Josie Olympia- Medical Staff Organization

Celia Spacone, Ph.D- Director for Operations

Leslie Allison- Director for Quality Management

Pamela Esposito- Director for Administrative Services

Dr. Jeffery Grace-Clinical Director

Susan Fallis- Director of Nursing

Kathy Lynch & Ulysses Harrell- Director of Recipient Service

Sue Joffe- Community Relations

Programs Offered Problem Solving

Body and Mind Connection

Trauma

Communication

Magical Memories

Social Effectiveness

Recovery Skills

Money

Socializing Activities

Drug and Alcohol

Client Goals The overarching goal for clients residing in the inpatient units in the Strozzi Building is to become well enough to be discharged to an out patient unit

Majority of clients have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, as such, a major goal for this population is medication management.

Clients are able to earn privileges for good behavior Escort (1) in the building (2) on the grounds (3) off the grounds

Unescorted 1,2, 3

Money is a major motivator to get out. It costs the client and their family 900 dollars a day to stay in the Strozzi building. Residents who do not have the money don’t have to pay until they have income.

Yoga at the BPCA gentle yoga that emphasizes an inward connection with one’s body was considered most appropriate for this population.

Practitioners are encouraged to listen to the needs of their own body and to honor those needs by moving at their own pace, modifying poses and/or skipping poses all together.

It is important to keep the entire class active and engaged. Long periods of silence can be overwhelming and cause anxiety.

Research indicates that meditative/mindfulness practice can actually be harmful for individuals with schizophrenia or major depression.

Schedule Thursday

10:40-11:30 Individual Yoga (one-on-one with referred patient) 2N ATC

* Twice a month free staff yoga class 12-12:30 to be held in art studio space**

1-3pm Join Sue’s New Beginnings group to do Art&Yoga class, 1st hour yoga (mixed gender), 2nd hour art therapy or yoga at NB 1-2pm

Friday

9:45-10:30 Yoga class on ATC 2N Women’s class

10:40-11:30 Yoga class on ATC 2N Men’s class

Practical ConcernsWhat props are available (e.g. blocks, blankets, mats, cushions, sound system)?

How appropriate are hands on assists for men and women?

How to communicate appropriate attire?

Are the BPC staff allowed to join the class?

Suggested level of difficulty for the class?

How should health concerns be addressed (e.g. high or low blood pressure, recent surgeries, prosthetic replacements, pregnancy)?

Class Outline(5mins) Opening: Introduce myself and the meaning and use of yoga. How is yoga different than exercise? Emphasize the importance of connecting inward and listening to your body (there is noting you have to know, there is nothing you have to do and there is nothing to get right). Discuss using the breath as a tool to assess the physical state of the body.

(8mins) Pranayama: Centering of the physical body and breath body (how to sit comfortably). Followed by Ujjayi pranayamic breathing (Ocean sounding breath).

(10mins) Warm-ups- seated side stretch/twist. Cat/Dog Tilting. High lung. Downward facing dog (adho mukha Svanasana), Child’s pose (Garbasana), Plank, lower to Cobra. Child’s pose. Downward facing dog, walk feet to hands and slowly rise up.

Class Outline

(15mins) Sun Salutation: A and B

(8mins) Asanas: Seated forward Fold (Pachimottanasana), Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) Bridge (setubandasana),

(8mins) Savasana

(6mins) Closing and end announcements

Staff Buffalo Psychiatric Center has access to a multidisciplinary team including:

Social workers

Mental Health Counselors

Psychologists

Psychiatrists

Nurses

Living Assistants

Art Therapist

Recreational Therapist

BPC maintains 615 staff members.

Atmosphere of the BPCMy impression of the BPC is that they place a lot of emphasis on safety (as they should), which makes it feel almost like a prison.

When entering the building you need to come through double locked doors that are operated by security guards.

Also a majority of the doors in the building are locked and only accessible with “staff keys.”

We are given an electronic security pad to wear around our necks. Incase of an emergency we are able to press the button on the pad, which alerts security to our exact location in the building.

Generally, the place feels a bit tired and worn down. It is clear that the staff and the patients are doing their best with what they have.

How to Make a Referral

Article 28 Hospitals (aka Hospitals with psychiatric units) (e.g. ECMC) are able to refer patients to BPC.

Who will Benefit: Individuals 18 and over experiencing mental health problems and have a primary psychiatric diagnosis and who are in need of intermediate to longer inpatient hospitalization.

Link to Web Page

http://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/Facilities/bupc/index.html

NAMASTE!From Hallow