GME Policy and Procedure For Assisting Residents Who Are in Need of Psychological Services

The Department of Psychiatry provides residents from all Departments with information about referrals for psychiatric treatment. Such information can be obtained through the office of the Chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry (718-270-2022).

The Department of Psychiatry provides urgent psychiatric evaluation, counseling and referral for residents of all Departments, in cases where a resident is having a psychiatric problem which cannot be adequately addressed by the resident with the resident’s Advisor or Training Director. An urgent evaluation should be initiated by the resident’s Training Director, with the resident’s agreement, and with the understanding that the evaluation will be time-limited, will be conducted with due respect for the resident’s right to confidentiality, and will not influence in any way the resident’s academic or employment status. The Training Director should discuss the resident’s situation with the Chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry who will, if warranted, designate a senior faculty member to evaluate and counsel the resident and make recommendations to the resident for further treatment. NO RESIDENT SHALL BE REQUIRED TO UNDERGO SUCH AN EVALUATION, WHICH SHALL BE ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY; NO INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVALUATION SHALL BE COMMUNICATED TO THE RESIDENT’S TRAINING DIRECTOR OR DEPARTMENT WITHOUT THE EXPRESS CONSENT OF THE RESIDENT.

In cases where a resident needs to be evaluated psychiatrically on an emergency basis, during regular working hours the person requesting the evaluation should discuss the situation with the Chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry, or the Chairperson’s designee, who will, if warranted, arrange for an emergency evaluation. Between 5:00 P.M. and 9:00 A.M., on weekends, and on holidays, the situation should be discussed with the “Bell” attending (beeper 917-760-0091) on call for the Department of Psychiatry. Whenever possible, emergency evaluation and treatment of a resident should be carried out in a facility that is not affiliated with the Health Science Center provided this does not place the resident at risk clinically.

Senior faculty members in the Department of Psychiatry are available, through the office of the Chairperson, to talk with and meet with selected faculty members and residents of other Departments, to help clarify psychological issues that arise in the course of training residents, and to suggest methods of handling residents’ behavioral problems within their own Departments.

When a psychiatric or psychological evaluation is required as part of a determination of a resident’s academic or employment status, the evaluation should be arranged through outside consultants or agencies, in conformity with relevant policies of GME and Human Resources.

Approved by GMEC: March 3, 1999
Reviewed and re-approved by GMEC 6/16/10