Psychiatry

Psychiatry at Beverly Hospital

The psychiatry team at Beverly Hospital is dedicated to helping children (4 years of age and older) and adults (18 years of age and older) achieve their best behavioral health. Our team joins forces to diagnose and evaluate all types of behavioral illness and substance use disorders. Then working with you or your loved one, we develop a treatment plan to help manage symptoms so you can live life more fully.

We offer a wide array of treatments and tailor our care to your specific needs. It may include inpatient and outpatient services. Treatment is provided on the Beverly Hospital campus, our satellite locations at BayRidge Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital, as well as at Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport and an additional location in Amesbury. Most patients reach our services through the emergency department (ED)

What to Expect

When you arrive at the ED, a nurse will see you or your loved one, get a health history and do a brief evaluation. Next comes a visit from the ED physician, who may order bloodwork and other tests. That’s followed by an in-depth interview with a social worker. This process helps us determine which patients benefit from a hospital stay.

Observational Care

In some cases, we require more time to make a diagnosis and determine treatment needs. For up to 23 hours, we have a patient stay in an observation bed. During this time, our team continues to assess you or your loved one’s condition. We may bring in other experts, such as a primary care doctor and consulting psychologists and neurologists, as well.

Inpatient Hospital Care

If we determine you or your loved one needs inpatient care, we can provide it in one of our five secure inpatient locations. These units offer specialized care for different needs.  Our units specialize in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and psychiatric care for people 65 years of age and older.  Our adult units provide care for individuals experiencing a behavioral health issue such as substance abuse, psychotic disorders, depression, anxiety, or those contemplating suicide.  We have campuses across the North Shore.

Our adult units include: BayRidge Hospital (62 beds) located in Lynn, the Leland unit at Beverly Hospital (18 beds) located in Beverly, and the Beverly Hospital Adult Behavioral Health Unit (20 beds) located in Newburyport.

We also operate a 20-bed unit for people over 65 located in Gloucester and a 16 bed unit for children ages 4-17 located in Amesbury.

An ambulance will transport you to the appropriate facility. Stays depend on several factors but are typically five to eight days.

Partial Hospitalization Program

Our Partial Hospitalization Program is a short-term, intensive outpatient program for adults. It serves as a psychiatric hospital diversionary or psychiatric step-down program. Clients spend the day at the hospital and return home in the evenings.

During the day, clients take part in several group therapy sessions and meet with their assigned clinician for individual check-ins. Our medication providers also provide medication management and help clients deal with any medication side effects.

Program Goals

Specific goals of the program are to:

• Assist clients in acquiring the skills necessary to manage their symptoms and build new social support networks.
• Identify the behavioral and cognitive changes required for achieving and sustaining successful recovery.
• Educate clients and their families about the factors that may have contributed to the client's behavioral health episode.
• Offer support to clients as they strive to stabilize their behavioral health.
• Collaborate with outpatient providers and help develop an aftercare plan.

Admission Requirements

To be accepted into the Partial Hospitalization Program, a client must:

• Be able to maintain safety at home overnight and when not in the program
• Have a psychiatric diagnosis
• Have the ability for self-control
• Not be actively suicidal

For more information about the program or to make a referral, please call 781-477-6938 or fax/email the referral form found here .

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy

TMS is similar to ECT. It’s a form of neurostimulation that triggers brain activity. But TMS uses very strong magnetic pulses instead of electricity. A psychiatrist and TMS technician administer the treatment in an outpatient office setting. No anesthesia is needed. You remain awake and alert throughout the treatment.

Patients get TMS five days a week for about six weeks. Each treatment session lasts just over half an hour. Once it’s completed, you’re free to go about your daily routine. Studies show that TMS is safe and effective. Half of patients improve significantly. And about 33% of patients are symptom-free after six weeks of treatment.

Who May Benefit from TMS?

To have this treatment, you must be at least 40 years old. The treatment has been successful for people who:

• Are not getting adequate results from their current depression treatment
• Are taking multiple medications for depression
• Feel that depression continues to have a negative impact on their daily life
• Feel that the side effects of their treatment outweigh the benefits
• Find that depression has increased their doctor visits for other conditions
• Have tried ECT for their depression

For More Information

For more information about TMS, please call 978-304-8532.