Gracie Square Hospital

The National Alliance on Mental Illness discovered that 64% of individuals living with a mental illness felt that their conditions worsened around the holidays. We asked Gracie Square staff member Hajra Jaffer, Senior Health and Wellbeing Coach, to share how they encourage patients to take care of their mental health this time of year.

Our Young Adult Program has seen a tremendous surge in patients. Your support enables us to add enhancements and comforts that are not possible with clinical dollars alone. This Giving Tuesday, thank you for considering Gracie Square Hospital. #team

Celebrated annually every Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday will be held on December 3rd, 2024. #GivingTuesday is the international day of philanthropy and officially kicks off the charitable giving season. Your support and generosity allows Gracie Square Hospital to continue to serve one of the most fragile patient populations and shows tangible support to end the stigma of mental illness. Visit www.nygsh.org/giving.html to find out how you can support!

Gracie Square Hospital is proud to once again support Lifeforce in Later Years (LiLY) at their 2024 Legacies Awards Gala and congratulates Dr. Lisa Mosconi, Associate Professor of Neuroscience in Neurology and Radiology, and Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, recipient of the Dr. Herbert Pardes Inspire Award. Gracie Square Hospital’s own older adult program shares a similar mission and is designed to provide treatment of older adults with mental illness and dementia related disorders. Our delivery of care is designed to have a patient centered approach maximizing quality of life, adaptive functioning, and optimum health. Dr. Nadine Chang, Senior Psychologist at Gracie Square Hospital and Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and Dr. Christopher J. Ceccolini, Unit Psychologist, Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, attended the event and represented Gracie Square Hospital. Congratulations to all on such successful evening. #team

Did you know Autumn Anxiety is real? If you are experiencing Autumn Anxiety, know you aren’t alone. Gracie Square Hospital is here with some coping tips!

On Tuesday, Weill-Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian, Gracie Square Hospital, and Westchester Behavioral Health held a Young Adult Mental Health Symposium at Uris Auditorium. The event was shared with local college campus counseling centers and referral sources that we often refer to for aftercare services for our patients. The program consisted of a variety of talks on topics pertaining to young adult and college student mental health including: Young Adult Services at NYP and WCM, Emerging Substance Misuse Trends, Understanding & Preventing Suicidality in Young Adults, Coping with Impostor Syndrome, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosis, Treatment and Challenges in Young Adults. The symposium was an opportunity for Weill Cornell Faculty at Gracie Square Hospital to partner with other faculty members from Weill Cornell. Dr. Chris Ceccolini presented on Young Adult Inpatient Unit at Gracie Square Hospital and discussed Coping with Imposter Syndrome with Dr. Megan Mendoza. The Symposium concluded with a Q&A Panel featuring GSH staff: Timothy McGarvey, MSN, LMSW, RN, NEA-BC (Executive Director and Chief Nursing Officer), Dr. Smita Agarkar, MD, CPE (Service Chief and WCM faculty), and Gaelen Stejbach, LCSW (Social Work Manager).

Gracie Square Hospital is proud to once again be GOLD certified by Planetree International! We received this prestigious award at the 25th Annual Planetree Global Person-Centered Care Forum, where we were also honored with the Legacy Award, recognizing five years of continuous GOLD certification in person-centered care. Dr. Nadine Chang, Ph.D., Senior Psychologist and Psychology Training Director; Gaelen Stejbach, LCSW, Social Work Manager; and Susana Tenecela, MHA, Supervisor of Operations & Analytics, accepted these awards on behalf of the hospital. Additionally, we are thrilled to announce that both Dr. Chang and Ms. Stejbach were recipients of the Spirit of Planetree Award, which recognizes individuals who exemplify excellence in person-centered care. At the forum, Dr. Chang, Ms. Stejbach, and Ms. Tenecela also presented Gracie Square Hospital’s Care Partner Program, a vital part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion. This program ensures that patient and family preferences, values, cultural traditions, and socioeconomic conditions are respected during every phase of care, making them a priority in the treatment journey. The Care Partner Program empowers patients to designate a loved one as an active participant in their care. Care Partners provide emotional support, participate in therapeutic activities, and assist with discharge planning to ensure continuity of care. This program strengthens the collaboration between patients, families, and our care teams, creating a personalized and inclusive approach to healing and recovery. We are honored by these recognitions and remain dedicated to delivering compassionate, personalized care that puts patients and their families at the center of everything we do.

October 3rd marked the last day of a six-week Brain and Behavior Psychopathology Course. The small focus group teaching experience prepares Weill Cornell Medical students with a skill set to interview and diagnose patients with various psychiatric disorders. On behalf of Smita Agarkar, MD, Service Chief and Tim McGarvey, CNO & Executive Director, it was a cohesive effort and perfect example of collaborative leadership between Weill Cornell Medicine and Gracie Square Hospital. With the combined efforts of our faculty and Nursing leadership at Gracie Square Hospital the course was a success, for the second year in a row. Our Weill Cornell Faculty of Dr. Joanna Chuang and Dr. Aparna Dole seen here with students on the final day. We are so proud of this continuing partnership! #team

It is #WorldMentalHealthDay and we want to remind everyone to show compassion and spread kindness, because you never know who is struggling mentally. Don't forget that you are never as alone as you may feel and here at Gracie Square Hospital, we care about you and your mental health.

This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week. This annual observance is held to raise awareness for mental health conditions that are often misunderstood. Each year, 43.8 million adults experience mental illness. Take the time not just this week, but every week, and have impactful and honest conversations with loved ones about mental illness. #mentalillnessawareness