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Office of Mental Health

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

Address:
998 Crooked Hill Road
West Brentwood, NY 11717–1087
Driving Directions

Phone: (631) 761–3500

Fax: (631) 761–2600

E–Mail: Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

Employment Opportunities

 

About Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

Areas Served

Long Island and the Greater NYC Region

History

Pilgrim State Hospital was created by the Legislature in 1929. It was named for Dr. Charles W. Pilgrim, Commissioner of Mental Health in the early 1900s. The hospital opened for the care and treatment of patients on 825 acres with 100 patients on October 1, 1931. Nine months later, 2,018 patients were hospitalized at Pilgrim. The census rose to its peak in 1954, with 13,875 patients.

Pilgrim was the largest facility of its kind in the world when it was built. The hospital was an independent community that included its own:

Over time, as more patients were discharged and greater support and services became available in the community, there wasn't a need for such large facilities.

Following the trend, Kings Park Psychiatric Center and Central Islip Psychiatric Center were consolidated and relocated to the Pilgrim campus in the Fall of 1996. The following Fall, those facilities were merged into Pilgrim Psychiatric Center under one name.

Pilgrim Today

Pilgrim PC provides a continuum of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services. The campus includes several residential agencies including:

Pilgrim operates four outpatient treatment centers and one ACT Team throughout Suffolk County.

Inpatient Services offer a wide variety of treatment options within two modern complexes. Treatment focus:

Multi–disciplinary teams provide treatment in individual and group formats. On–ward treatment spaces reflect state–of–the art design and a therapeutic environment. Off–ward program and recreational space are available within each building.

There are 11 inpatient units including 3 admission units, 2 geriatric units (1 admission), and 6 Psychiatric Rehabilitation units.

Regular Visiting Hours

Intensive Treatment Unit Visiting Hours

Quality Report

Pilgrim is accredited by the Join Commission. We are in compliance with all applicable Behavioral Healthcare and Hospital Standards.

You can access Pilgrim PC's Joint Commission Quality Report. Visit www.qualitycheck.org and search for Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.

To report concerns about patient safety and quality of care, contact Pilgrim's Quality Management Department at (631)761-2912.

Mission

We provide a comprehensive array of treatments and services that inspire people with unique mental health needs to experience hope, self-determination and success in their lives.

Language Access Services

It is the policy of Pilgrim Psychiatric Center to provide services that are culturally sensitive and linguistically competent.

We deliver treatment services in a manner compatible with preferences that reflect a patient’s:

Empathetic and respectful communication is vital to the delivery of our services. Together, we determine an individual's language needs before admission. If they need interpretive or assistive listening devices, we provide the service during the admission process.

Active Treatment and Program Activities

Centralized Treatment Programs provide active treatment groups within a lesser restrictive environment. The programs aim to help patients get the skills needed to become ready for discharge and successful in the community.

The MSTE ROOM (multi-sensory therapeutic environment) is a room that brings together a variety of multi-sensory equipment in one place to stimulate senses at the desired level. This area promotes feelings of well-being. We use it in treatment to promote: The patient is the one who sets the tone for each session as the staff help the development of self-regulatory skills.

Rehabilitation Services provide treatment activities aimed at developing independence. These services improve skills in the areas of:

Concentrated services are available once discharged back to the community.

Our Nature Center has a greenhouse and surrounding gardens where patients can take part in horticulture therapy.

The Barn hosts an Animal–Assisted Therapy and Activities. We use the interactions between patients and farm animals as therapeutic treatment.

Music Therapy promotes health using music experiences and the relationships. Sessions are provided on an individual or group basis. Techniques include vocalizing with individuals using various instruments, song-writing, and musical improvisation.

The Discharge Academy gives members the opportunity to practice daily living skills before discharge. The program takes place off-unit in a model apartment and kitchen environment. An educational session is followed by hands-on practice. Individuals graduate at the end of the program.

The barn
Barn
The greenhouse
Nature Center Greenhouse

The Rehabilitation Center

The Rehabilition Center

This state–of–the art facility hosts our:

The Center is open daily Monday to Friday, select Evenings, and Saturday Mornings.

We use classrooms for patient education, treatment groups, learning and meeting space. There is a large auditorium available for staff presentations, conferences, and patient activities.

Museum

The museum

The Pilgrim campus hosts The Long Island Psychiatric Museum. It offers a collection of memorabilia, artifacts, and photos representing the history of the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.

The Museum is accessible to the public by appointment only. Hours of operation are limited. For further information, please call (631)761-3805.

Professional Departments:

Psychology Internship Program

The Pilgrim Psychiatric Center's Internship Program is accredited by:
American Psychological Association
Commission on Accreditation
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002–4242
(202) 336–5979

This one-year (Sept. – Sept.) experience is for Doctoral candidates in Psychology. It follows an apprenticeship/practitioner model.

This internship provides intensive training in the core skills of clinical psychology. Within a state psychiatric hospital, students work with severely and persistently mentally ill patients. The population we serve consists of individuals with severe impairments, whose diagnoses include:

Interns work side by side with seasoned clinicians. They have a variety of assignments and opportunities to observe and treat illnesses, witness the effects of treatment, and assist the patient towards therapeutic re–integration into the community (i.e., discharge).

Learn more about the Doctoral Psychology Internship Program. If you require additional assistance in viewing the document, you can write or call: Telephone: (631) 761–2399, Fax: (631) 761–3770.

Psychology Externship Program

APA/Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Approved

This one-year (June-July) clinical experience is an APA accredited program for 3rd or 4th year Doctoral candidates in Psychology. The program follows an apprenticeship/practitioner model.

Externs are considered volunteers as they are unpaid and have 16-hour weekly schedules.

Learn more about the Doctoral Psychology Externship Program. If you require additional assistance in viewing the document, you can write or call: Jennifer May, Ph.D. at 631-761-3275.

Family Support Services:

At Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, the families of our patients are considered an integral part of the treatment process. Family involvement is welcome.

The facility provides the following Family Support Services:

Specialty Services for Inpatients

Substance Abuse Services: Counseling sessions focus on developing coping skills to manage substance use that impacts functioning.

Geriatric Services: Age–specific services for individuals aged 65 and above

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): inpatient program for individuals with Borderline Personality features.

DBT, S (Substance Abuse): weekly inpatient program emphasizing the use of DBT skills to help in recovery for substance abuse.

Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU): short–term specialized services for patients needing extensive individualized treatment for stabilization.

Bridger Program: provides linkage and support for inpatients with long hospital stays when the possibility of discharge becomes imminent.

Polydipsia Program: provides specialized care and treatment for patients who display excessive water drinking, water intoxication, and/or hyponatremia, a potentially life-threatening loss of sodium. We provide psychoeducation to increase knowledge and awareness about the disorder.

CONNECTIONS Program: For consumers who are transitioning from the inpatient to outpatient setting. It aims to provide effective transitional/community supports based on individual needs and recovery goals.

Community Services

Pilgrim PC operates a range of outpatient services throughout the community. Services include:

We have Biannual Family Gatherings at each clinic. They offer

For detailed information call the number listed for each location.

Clinic Name Services
Buckman Center - Las Casita
998 Crooked Hill Road
West Brentwood, NY 11717
(631) 761–2289		 Serving Northwest Suffolk County
Hispanic track providing services in the Spanish language
Western Suffolk Center - Building 56
998 Crooked Hill Road
West Brentwood, NY 11717
(631) 761–2082		 Serving Western Suffolk County
Yaphank Center
31 Industrial Blvd.
Medford, NY 11763
(631) 924–4411		 Serving Brookhaven Township, Suffolk County
Geriatric track providing services to the Geriatric population.
Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACT)
3 Grove Avenue
Patchogue, NY 11772
(631) 475–7108		 Serving Brookhaven Township, Suffolk County
Intensive psychiatric outreach services.
Peconic Center
550 E. Main Street Suite 103
Riverhead, N.Y. 11901
(631) 369–1277		 Serving Eastern Suffolk County

Specialty Services for Outpatients

The Intensive Case Management Program: Health Home Care Management to high need individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

The Program staff:

Crisis Hotline: provides 24-hour:

Mobile Crisis Teams: Outreach services in Suffolk County for psychiatric emergencies. The Team provides:

The Mobile Integration Team: Community-based treatment and support services. The program provides an intensive level of care that is community-based and occurs in the individual’s home or another preferred community setting. Program goals:

Residential Programs

Residential programs offer a unique set of advantages to consumers. They promote empowerment and self-determination, while ensuring care and safety.

Crisis Residence: This on–campus 17 bed residence provides temporary housing. It is an alternative to admission for those experiencing housing or other situational crises. Residents receive psychiatric services from Pilgrim's community programs or from other providers as needed.

Family Care Program: These homes are for consumers who have functional limitations and need continual supervision. Home services range from a family like setting to the more intensive "personal care" homes. Homes are located throughout Nassau and Suffolk County.

State Operated Community Residences (SOCR): SOCR's provide transitional placement. Homes range from 10 beds to 24 beds, supervised by staff 24 hours/day. The goals of SOCR's is to improve independent living skills and enable individuals to move to a less restrictive setting in the community.

Community Transitional Support (CTS): CTS promotes:

CTS provides person-centered services to assist individuals leaving an inpatient unit or SOCR in their transition to alternative housing.

Comments or questions about the information on this page can be directed to the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.

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