A new 16-bed inpatient unit specifically dedicated to women’s treatment has opened at Hall-Brooke Behavioral Health Services, 47 Long Lots Road, Westport.
Bishop William E. Lori of the Diocese of Bridgeport offered blessings on the newly opened 16-bed Women’s Unit of Westport’s Hall-Brooke Behavioral Health Services. With Lori are (l-r): Dr. Thomas E. Smith, Hall-Brooke’s medical director, and Jennifer L’Herbette, MSW. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
The advanced design 10,000-square-foot Woman’s Unit is staffed by clinical experts versed in the particular needs of women’s mental health and well-being, according to Thomas E. Smith, M.D., Hall-Brooke’s medical director.
The specific gender focus of the new unit “puts Hall-Brooke in the vanguard of mental health treatment centers which recognize the importance of biological and social factors on the mental health of women,” Smith said. “There are very few comprehensive programs tailored to women available in the entire country.”
The unit’s specially trained staff understands the mental health needs of women and recognizes the influence of hormones and premenstrual symptoms, reactions to infertility or pregnancy loss, and emotional distress related to life changes, he said.
It is prepared to deal with psychiatric reactions to rape, sexual abuse, or other traumas, stresses from social roles, and problems in relationships or parenting, according to Smith.
“The Women’s Unit will provide ‘exceptional care for the mind, body and spirit’ of women with mental health problems, including those with mood and anxiety disorders, and abuse related issues,” Smith said.
The new Women’s Unit occupies remodeled and reconfigured space made available by the relocation of Hall-Brooke’s Outpatient Services to 1 Lois St., Norwalk.
An Intensive Outpatient Program for Women, offered at 1 Lois St., makes available a continuum of services for women recovering from mental health issues, an announcement said.
Hall-Brooke is a wholly owned subsidiary of St. Vincent’s Health Services of Bridgeport and is affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University.
