Acute Psychiatric Services (APS) provides primary psychiatric emergency and crisis intervention, both on and off-site, for individuals of all ages, including children and adolescents. These services are located on the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Piscataway campus in the UBHC facility located at 671 Hoes Lane, and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 1-855-515-5700 for more information.

Admission Criteria
APS is funded by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) as the Designated Screening Center for Middlesex County. As such, it is accessible to walk-ins and referrals on a 24/7 basis. APS also provides outreach services for adults, adolescents, and children throughout Middlesex County, including correctional facilities. In addition, APS manages the child and adolescent inpatient admissions for the regional designated Children's Crisis Intervention Service (CCIS) and, as such, accepts referrals of children and adolescents from Screening Centers in Mercer, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties.

Access 1.800.969.5300
Patients may seek services by walking in or by calling. Crisis Services maintains active coordination/liaison relationships with other UBHC departments and outside agencies and hospitals in order to facilitate access. A screening outreach team is available on a county-wide basis. Youths are referred for assessment by local agencies or professionals. When possible, telephone screening is conducted to determine the type of emergency intervention or alternative recommendation. Patients are also screened for medical clearance. The patient is triaged upon arrival. Patients who are brought to the unit on an involuntary basis or who otherwise appear to require secure management can be safely assessed and treated in a secure area.

Assessment
Evaluation procedures are comprehensive and supportive of a patient in crisis. Every effort is made to achieve a full understanding of the patient's needs and to consideration of intervention and disposition alternatives. Information is obtained from current or past therapists, family members, and other collateral sources. Multidisciplinary consultations are always available.

Care
Treatment begins simultaneously with evaluation procedures, and the service offers a full range of crisis stabilization modalities. These include crisis intervention with patients and families, pharmacological therapy, and referral for various services i.e., acute inpatient treatment, acute partial day treatment, acute intensive child partial treatment, outpatient treatment, and rehabilitation services. A psychiatrist is always on duty to provide medical intervention/consultation. Mental health clinicians conduct walk-in evaluations and brief outpatient therapy. Responsibilities of nurses and certified paraprofessionals include caring for patients, screening, outreach, and crisis telephone service. Supervision of clinical activities and service administration is the responsibility of the Clinician Administrator and Medical Director. Staff participates in numerous coordination/liaison activities with county acute-care systems.

Discharge
All patients not hospitalized are linked to the appropriate community resource. Follow-up may be provided to support patients awaiting outpatient treatment. Follow-up is provided to reinforce the treatment plan or develop alternatives. Active coordination is maintained with UBHC services to ensure priority attention and exchange of information. Dispositions are reported to referring professionals and primary care physicians whenever possible. The Acute Psychiatric Service participates in interagency coordinating efforts through the County Systems Review Committee.

Eligibility	APS is funded by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) as the Designated Screening Center for Middlesex County. As such, it is accessible to walk-ins and referrals on a 24/7 basis. APS also provides outreach services for adults, adolescents and children throughout Middlesex County, including correctional facilities. In addition, APS manages the child and adolescent inpatient admissions for the regional designated Children's Crisis Intervention Service (CCIS) and, as such, accepts referrals of children and adolescents from Screening Centers in Mercer, Somerset and Hunterdon counties.
Age Groups	Children Adolescents Adults Seniors
Community Services	Family & Support Services LGBTQ
Health Services	Behavioral / Mental Health ADHD / ADD Anger Management Anxiety Behavioral Conduct Disorder Depression Dissociative Disorders Eating Disorders Family Conflict & Distress Fire-Setting Grief / Loss Mental Health Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Personality Disorders Psychosomatic Self-Injury Substance Use Teen Issues Trauma / PTSD Crisis / Safety Bullying Child Abuse / Neglect Crisis / Safety / Prevention Domestic Violence Suicide / Suicidal Ideation Trafficking Intellectual and Developmental Needs Learning Disabilities
Payment Options	Managed Care Medicaid Private / Commercial Insurance Self Pay Sliding Scale / Payment Plans
Areas Served	Middlesex County

Last Updated: 03/14/23