Harmon, Bennett and Montenegro lead Shore to finals of SCT
October 31, 2024
Cheryl Caputo, LCSW, Director of Early Intervention Support Services, prepares to cut the ceremonial ribbon dedicated the services’ newly renovated space as MMC leadership, trustees and Fireflies Council for Behavioral Health Services look on.
Neptune – October 31, 2024—Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) recently hosted a ribbon-cutting grand opening ceremony for its newly remodeled space offering a warm and welcoming environment for adults and children in need of outpatient behavioral health crisis intervention services.
Licensed by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services, the Early Intervention Support Services (EISS) program located at 3301 Route 66 in Neptune is designed to provide up to 30 days of outpatient behavioral health treatment for Monmouth County adults older than 18 who have serious mental illness and are at risk of needing hospital services. Its new Child and Adolescent Crisis Diversion Program is a brief outpatient program that focuses on meeting the emotional, behavioral and psychiatric needs of children and adolescents between the ages of 5-17 and their families, by providing rapid access to mental health services.
Assemblywoman Margie Donlon presents a New Jersey State Assembly Resolution in support of the programs to President and CEO Eric Carney and Maryanne Nagy, Chair of the MMC Board of Trustees. They are shown in front of the Frank and Valerie Montecalvo Wall of Inspiration.
Marli Gelfand, Assistant Vice President of Behavioral Health Services at MMC, told the nearly 50 people gathered for the dedication that to create a healing space, it’s important to offer an environment of care that is warm, welcoming, and respectful.
“When major changes or catastrophic life events occur, those with mental illnesses are more susceptible and vulnerable to experiencing crises, and this beautiful new space shows our most vulnerable patients that they are really cared for and respected,” she said. “We are so proud to now officially dedicate this space that shows not only our patients, but also our courageous staff who are here to give hope to everyone who works through our doors, how important they are.”
To date in 2024, more than 600 individuals have been treated through the EISS program, and since opening this summer, the Child and Adolescent Crisis Diversion Program has assisted more than 60 families whose children needed intensive mental health services.“EISS bridges the gap for adult patients with mental illness who may have stopped treatment, have begun experiencing difficulties and are having a hard time reconnecting with outpatient services,” said Cheryl Caputo, LCSW, Director of Early Intervention Support Services. “And our goal with our Child and Adolescent Crisis Diversion Program is to provide a safe, compassionate and trauma-sensitive environment to youth and their families to decrease the need for a higher level of care and to maintain safety in the community.”
The goal of the program is to provide individuals with a timely alternative to emergency room crisis units. For patients who have already been evaluated by a crisis unit, the programs are able to provide treatment so that inpatient psychiatric treatment and hospitalization can be avoided. The programs’ multidisciplinary team work collaboratively with each patient to help them overcome these challenges so that symptoms can be stabilized and they can begin to function at their full potential.
Also unveiled as a part of the grand opening was the Frank and Valerie Montecalvo Wall of Inspiration. The display in the main waiting room offers words of wisdom and positive quotes to help inspire hope in patients and families on their journey to wellness.
Eric Carney, President and CEO of both MMC and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, noted that the celebration of the newly remodeled space that patients come to for Early Intervention Support Services is an important reminder that the goal of the remodel was to create an environment that encourages positivity.
“Monmouth Medical Center is dedicating to improving access to care and bringing care to our community,” he said. “The EISS Program has existed for more than a decade, touching the lives of thousands of individuals with a safe place that sends a very strong message of hope that tells our patients that they are going to be o.k. What makes this place so special is our amazing early intervention teams, and we are so grateful to our generous supporters who have enabled us to create this beautiful healing space that helps to remove the stigma that people seeking mental health care often feel.”
In addition to offering thanks to longtime MMC philanthropists Frank and Valerie Montecalvo, Carney also acknowledged Carolyn Deforte, Chair of the Fireflies Council for Behavioral Health, and the council for their ongoing commitment to raise funds and spread awareness for mental health wellness at MMC.
Additionally, he thanked Assemblywoman Margie Donlon, who presented a State Assembly Resolution in support of the newly remodeled and expanded services. “We are so grateful for the ongoing advocacy and funding support of our behavioral health services from Senator Vin Gopal and Assemblywomen Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul, along with Tom Arnone, County Commissioner Director, and the Monmouth County Commissioners,” he said.
“As the largest provider of behavioral health services in the state, RWJBarnabas Health, together with Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care is committed to enhancing services for our patients who have behavioral health needs. I applaud the team at Monmouth Medical Center and to the donors and council for always putting the mental health needs of our community at the forefront,” said Frank Ghinassi, Senior Vice President, Behavioral Health Services at RWJBarnabas Health and President and CEO of Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care.
The Crisis Intervention services are a part of RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health, which together with Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care, is a leading provider of integrated mental health and substance use treatment services, serving over half a million individuals each year.
To learn more about the EISS program, call 732-922-1042. To learn more about the Child and Adolescent Crisis Diversion Program, call, 732-922-2860.
About Monmouth Medical Center
Monmouth Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, along with The Unterberg Children’s Hospital, is a regional teaching campus for Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. As the first hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties, Monmouth Medical Center offers the most experienced surgeons in robotics and other minimally invasive procedures as well as bariatric and joint and spine surgery. Delivering more babies annually than all other hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined, Monmouth Medical Center was recently one of nine New Jersey hospitals recognized by Newsweek magazine as a top maternity hospital. The hospital offers access to the region’s top cardiologists and the award-winning, nationally recognized RWJBarnabas Health heart centers. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and the 11th in the country to earn Magnet Recognition with Distinction® from the American Nurses Credentialing as a reflection of its nursing professionalism, teamwork and superiority in patient care. It is the only hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties to consistently receive an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization. RWJBarnabas Health and Monmouth Medical Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center — brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside patients, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials.
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