Dual Focus Program

The Dual Focus Program provides inpatient treatment for individuals with significant emotional or psychiatric problems in addition to being chemically dependent.  Gracie Square Hospital provides comprehensive treatment on a specialized unit which utilizes a flexible blend of psychiatric and substance abuse models in a supportive therapeutic milieu.  Our staff consists of highly trained, dedicated and experienced psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, activities therapists and substance use counselors as well as medical, neurological and psychology consultants.

Certain Chemically dependent individuals do not respond readily to standard substance abuse treatment.  Many of these patients are in fact suffering from two concurrent illnesses.  Often these dually diagnosed patients are treated either in mental health or addiction systems or shuttled back and forth between them.  Frequently this fragmented approach results in treatment failure.  The Dual Focus Program has been specifically designed to provide a unique integrated treatment program tailored to the needs of this special population, addressing both psychiatric and addiction components.

The unit caters to individuals with current abuse of addictive substances or even recent abstinence complicated by difficulty coping with the stresses of early recovery.  The team has the ability to diagnose withdrawal symptoms and treat appropriately while addressing co-occurring Depression, Bipolar disorder, Psychotic disorders, Personality Disorders and others.  The program is an acute care inpatient treatment program with most patients staying approximately ten days.  The multidisciplinary team develops a treatment plan for each patient that addresses both psychiatric and addiction diagnoses.  Addiction trained social workers facilitate discussion of family difficulties and housing needs so that patients are discharged to the most therapeutic environment possible with the best opportunity to prevent relapses.