Mental Health Services

Safe, compassionate inpatient mental health care

Ellis Medicine’s 36-bed adult inpatient mental health units serve patients age 18 and above. We have a highly trained therapeutic team of psychiatrists, registered nurses, social workers, mental health counselors, recreation therapists and mental health assistants that provide safe, compassionate inpatient care for patients suffering from mental illnesses.

Immediate problems of living safely in the community are addressed such as: 

• severe depression and anxiety 

• severe episodes of bi-polar disorder 

• thought disorders such as schizophrenia 

• the grave risk of suicide 

Co-occurring alcohol and chemical dependency issues are also addressed.

Therapy includes individual and group treatment using psychotherapy, arts therapies and social/psychological education. Peer Support Counselors are available to provide each patient with guidance and advocacy from the perspective of a person successfully living and coping well with mental illness. 

Care is well coordinated with family and social support networks so that discharge to independence is achieved rapidly, effectively and in conjunction with follow-up outpatient care, when needed. Patients are assisted with links to community services, financial counseling, housing, outpatient mental health, transportation and health care resources (Medicaid, SSI, Disability, etc.).  A case worker will be assigned to patients that need to be bridged between inpatient and outpatient services.

Responding to client needs

Crisis Intervention Services provide crisis response for clients in the community. Services are available through the Crisis Information and Referral Hotline at 518.243.4000, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Crisis Intervention Services are available in the Emergency Room at Ellis Hospital, and The Living Room (adults) or The Family Room (ages 10 to 17), located at our State Street Mental Health Center – for in-person mental health assessments, telephone counseling and referral, and to aid in psychiatric emergencies. More information on these services is below.

Emergency Department Mental Health Crisis Services

Crisis services are offered in the hospital's Emergency Department Care Team 5. It is staffed with registered nurses, mental health technicians, psychiatric crisis workers, psychiatrists and security officers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to care for mental health patients in crisis. Patients seeking crisis services have the option of being seen in person or by calling Ellis' Crisis Line: 518-243-4000.

The Living Room at State Street Mental Health Center

The Living Room provides crisis diversion services to adults 18 and older. Guests will be assessed for safety throughout the visit. Supportive therapy will be provided; coping skills and stress reduction skills will be explored. Services for mental health, substance-abuse treatment, physical health providers, care management services, housing supports, and community resources are all available and provided according to the immediate needs of each individual who visits.

Contact Us
1023 State Street
Schenectady, NY

Phone: 518.243.1523
Hours: Monday - Friday | 10 am - 6 pm

The Family Room at State Street Mental Health Center

The Family Room is the newest addition to the State Street Health Center at 1023 State Street, and a first of its kind in New York State. Modeled after our successful Living Room program for adults, The Family Room provides youth and adolescents (ages 10 to 17) with mental health services in a safe, comfortable, calming place within a healthcare setting. The Family Room is where young people facing mental health crises can seek help as an alternative to the Emergency Department. This new community resource, which opened in winter of 2024, seeks to break down barriers to mental health care.

The Family Room is staffed with a social worker, case manager, and peer counselor. Additionally, advising medical professionals from Ellis Medicine will be consulted as needed.

Guests have access to counselling, social supports, and social and medical referrals, or they can simply use the visit to calm themselves in a safe, comfortable environment and leave when they are ready. Guests’ families will also be served and will be encouraged to participate if they accompany the youth or adolescent to The Family Room or as a follow up. A parent or guardian is not required for an individual to visit; however, they may be contacted following the visit to understand and help address the crisis.

Contact Us
1023 State Street (parking in rear; entrance on side of building off Waldorf Place)
Schenectady, NY

Phone: 518.831.8700
Hours: Monday - Friday | 10 am - 6 pm

Call the Crisis Information and Referral Hotline, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, at 518.243.4000.

Short-term inpatient care for teens in crisis

Ellis Medicine's Adolescent Treatment Center is a 16 bed inpatient mental health unit that serves children from a wide geographic area that extends from Poughkeepsie to Canada, and from the Vermont border to the Syracuse area.

The Adolescent Treatment Center serves patients ages 11-17 with a focus of providing short-term intensive treatment for teens in crisis, including severe episodes of Depression and Anxiety, Bi-polar Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), eating disorders, severe behavioral disorders and other issues.

Patients are safely cared for by a highly trained therapeutic team of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, certified teachers, recreation therapists and mental health assistants. This multi-disciplinary team works closely with the child's community – his or her family, private therapists, schools, community-based agencies, residential treatment facilities, and others involved in meeting the long-term needs of the child. An ongoing New York State Certified School Program is conducted on-site.

Outpatient Child and Adolescent Treatment

This outpatient mental health program serves patients ages 4-18 with the goal of providing patients and their families with comprehensive, effective mental health services in a nurturing, safe and supportive environment. Among the services provided:

·       Initial psychiatric assessments with diagnosis

·       Medication management

·       Psychotherapy/Counseling services

·       Crisis services (for existing patients)

·       Consultation/collateral services for schools and other professional agencies

·       Wellness Planning

·       Community education

For more information on outpatient child and adolescent programs, please call 518. 382.2290.

A Refuge for Young Patients

Ellis Medicine’s inpatient Adolescent Treatment Center features a Comfort Room and an Outdoor patio for young patients struggling with mental illness.

The Comfort Room features a series of unique sensory experiences that calm patients and enable them to better communicate and interact with others. Used for individual patients or for groups, the room also supports staff in preventing or diffusing a patient crisis. 

The Outdoor Patio enables the patients to go outside during their stay. This gives patients the opportunity of temporary reprieve from the inpatient unit and the right to daily outdoor time. Patients that receive temporary reprieve from inpatient hospitalization can show positive response for their mental health and recovery process.

The Comfort Room and Outdoor Patio were funded entirely by grants and generous donors, among them Stewart’s, The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, The Standish Family Fund and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Coordinated care for members of our community

The focus of Ellis Medicine’s Outpatient Mental Health Clinic is on the long-term goal of living safely and productively in the community. We provide safe, compassionate care for patients with such illnesses as Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and thought disorders such as Schizophrenia. Co-occurring alcohol and chemical dependency issues are also addressed. Interventions include medication management, health monitoring, individual and group psychotherapy, and psycho-education.

Ellis Medicine’s highly-trained team consists of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, licensed social workers, registered nurses and a primary care physician. Providers evaluate possible medication needs to ensure optimal use of advances in medical care. Family and social support networks may be included in treatment with patients’ consent to facilitate independence in the community. Linkage to community agencies for housing, financial, healthcare and transportation needs can be provided as well.

The program is open from 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday.

Integrated Outpatient Services

Primary Care services are offered on-site at the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic for current clients. Our primary care physician is part of the Mental Health Clinic treatment team and works closely with the psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and registered nurses to ensure coordination of services and treatment monitoring.

Primary Care Services Include:

·       Counseling

·       Diagnosis & treatment of illnesses & diseases

·       Education (diet, exercise, smoking cessation)

·       Immunizations

·       Regular check-ups/physicals

·       Screenings

·       Sick visits

 Primary Care hours are 8:30am-5:00pm Wednesday and Thursday.

For more information, please call the intake line at 518-831-6946.

Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS)

PROS offer hope and assistance to adults age 18 and over in regaining life roles that have been lost or never achieved due to mental illness.

The program, which operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m-5:00 p.m., offers an array of educational and skill acquisition groups geared to help achieve their chosen recovery goals in the areas of work, education, relationships and living environment. Social and recreational activities are also offered to program participants.  The staff comprises a team of social workers, licensed mental health counselors and psychiatric caseworkers.

Click here to view our PROS Flyer.

For more information, please call the intake line at 518-831-6958.

Providing advocacy and vocational opportunities

The Peer Counselor Program is an innovative, nationally recognized program in which trained mental health consumers provide advocacy and support from the perspective of a person who has been able to successfully cope with mental illness.

Peer counselors are available throughout Ellis Mental Health Services, including in the Emergency Room, Inpatient Psychiatric Unit and Outpatient Programs.

The Peer Counselors Program offers mental health consumers extensive training and meaningful employment as peer counselors. The program also serves as a vocational opportunity, and many peer counselors eventually move on to competitive employment in human services and other fields.

A weekly group is held at Ellis Hospital that provides support and education to families of those afflicted with mental illness. For more information, call 518.243.3300.