Orthodox Jewish Program
Gracie Square Hospital is proud to offer a sub-specialty program in religiously appropriate and culturally sensitive individualized treatment for members of the Orthodox Jewish population (aged 18 years and older) who are in need of inpatient psychiatric care. The Orthodox Jewish Program at Gracie Square Hospital features an interdisciplinary treatment team of behavioral healthcare providers and clinicians who in addition to their extensive psychiatric knowledge and skill also have special training and experience regarding the particular spiritual and cultural needs of the Orthodox community (e.g., kashrus, tsnius, Shabbos meals, and other traditional religious practices) – all as part of our commitment to providing our patients with the best care possible.
The goal of the Orthodox Jewish Program is to improve the lives of Orthodox Jewish patients working toward wellness and recovery. We provide a place where individuals can meet peers struggling with similar issues, develop a greater understanding of their diagnoses and medications, and access the insight and support they need to begin their recovery. In order to address the specific needs of our patients in an individualized and communally conscious way, our team works with select members of the Orthodox Jewish community who are dedicated to assisting us with care coordination, rabbinic consultation and other religious and cultural accommodations tailored to individual patients’ needs, as well as help in facilitating patients’ safe return to the community.
Other specific services provided through the program:
- Glatt kosher food, including traditional Shabbos and chag meals, is provided by our kosher caterer; additional kosher food is delivered by communal volunteers and bikur cholim organizations.
- We ensure that patients are able to safely daven and observe Shabbos and chagim.
- Men may bring tefillin from home and put them on if deemed safe to do so. (The hospital also keeps several sets on the unit for use.)
- Women are provided with a hospital-approved and religiously appropriate head-covering (if they are unable to wear their own) that they may take home with them upon discharge. We have a commitment to special programming on Shabbos and chagim, as well as Orthodox specific groups in addition to our robust daily schedule of other therapeutic activities and treatment groups.
