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Behavioral Health

With a team of highly-trained psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and licensed clinicians, Atlantic Behavioral Health at Morristown Medical Center provides a collaborative and comprehensive treatment approach that addresses health holistically.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, our high-performing behavioral health team is able to expand vital resources for patients facing mental health challenges. The comprehensive, evidence-based, and team-based care we provide ensures that all patients receive personalized attention to meet their specific needs.

Elana Monchar, MD

Chair, Department of Psychiatry for Morristown Medical Center

Program Highlight

  • Thanks to generous donor support from the Gagnon Family Foundation and others, the newly relocated and expanded Behavioral Health Assessment Center at Morristown Medical Center will open at 65 Madison Avenue in 2025. This larger facility continues to provide patients with essential access to same-day or next-day mental health services, with enhanced privacy and convenience.

fund highlights
  • Morristown Medical Center’s art therapist works with patients in the Sameth Emergency Department’s Behavioral Health Unit to help manage agitation, alleviate anxiety and prevent escalating behaviors through artmaking.

    This approach complements traditional medical treatments, making patients in acute distress more open to care. The program relies entirely on philanthropy for support.

  • In the Collaborative Care model, adult and pediatric patients are screened for depression and anxiety by a behavioral health clinician during their appointment with an Atlantic Medical Group primary care physician. If a patient tests positive for these conditions, they have access to various services provided by a behavioral health specialist on-site during their visit. This innovative care model is currently available in six Atlantic Medical Group practices and will expand to additional locations.

  • HELP is a program designed to address delirium that often occurs in hospitalized older patients. Delirium is characterized by significant confusion, inattention and a decline in functioning. Fortunately, this condition can be prevented or mitigated through protocols like HELP, which offers bedside interventions to keep older patients mentally and functionally engaged.

    HELP was implemented at Morristown Medical Center thanks to a generous seed grant from the Marion E. C. Walls Trust, which continues to support the program, along with other kind donors and an endowment fund. The program is available throughout the hospital and provided over 1,400 patient interventions in 2024.

    1,400+

    patient interventions through HELP in 2024

  • In 2017, Morristown Medical Center launched this vital inpatient program with seed funding from the Walls Trust, which continues to support it. Under this protocol, an advanced practice nurse and consulting psychiatrist screen medical and surgical inpatients for substance misuse, assess the severity, initiate treatment and coordinate care before discharge.

    A significant enhancement has been the Benzo-Sparing Protocol for alcohol withdrawal, which reduces reliance on benzodiazepines — traditionally used for this purpose — by using gabapentin instead. Gabapentin manages withdrawal more effectively and reduces cravings.

  • Atlantic Health System’s True North initiative offers mental health outreach services for at-risk veterans in northern New Jersey.

    Established in 2017, the program is made possible by the support of donors, including the Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation. This unique care program integrates behavioral health interventions with other therapies to assess, treat, and support the psychosocial needs of veterans in our communities.