Clinical Care

Clinical Programs

The Jefferson Health Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior offers an extensive array of services for patients of all ages. Services include general adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, substance abuse services, and consultation-liaison services. See below for descriptions of our various programs or visit our clinical website for more information.

Inpatient Adult

The Thomas Jefferson University Hospital operates a 16-bed general adult inpatient unit. This unit offers intensive psychiatric care to individuals, including patients with underlying medical complications. A multidisciplinary treatment approach is used in which patients receive the benefit of working with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, and occupational/recreational therapists. Extensive evaluation of treatment needs is performed for all individuals and typically includes pharmacotherapy, individual and group therapy, and milieu treatment in an intensive setting.

If you are seeking to schedule an admission, call 215-955-8333.

Inpatient Geriatric

Our inpatient geriatric unit provides geriatric patients with quality multidisciplinary care, thorough individual attention, supportive group therapies, and various amenities to treat age-related conditions, such as dementia, depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Our distinguished, multidisciplinary team helps patients regain their abilities to function independently, and carefully assesses their readiness to return home or their need for long-term rehabilitation.

  • Multidisciplinary Approach – Our patients receive quality care from attendings in geriatric psychiatry and family medicine. Fellows in geriatric medicine, residents in psychiatry and neurology, experienced nurses, social workers, and specialists in occupational therapy, physical therapy, art therapy, and nutritional counseling also participate in the treatment of our patients.
  • Individual Attention – The facility accommodates a maximum of 12 patients at any given time, ensuring that each patient receives ample individual care.
  • Group Activities – Patients dine together, resulting in constructive social interaction as well as better eating habits. Group therapy sessions in our two community rooms provide residents with exercise for their minds and bodies.
  • Patient-Friendly Design – Wide, tiled hallways make wheelchair and walker usage easier. The unit's walls are painted in soft, warm colors that help to comfort patients and keep them oriented as they travel from room to room.

If you are seeking to schedule an admission, call 215-955-4771.

Individual, couples, and family therapy are provided by our faculty. We offer psychotherapy and medication management.

For more information or to make a referral, please call 215-955-8420.

The adult consultation-liaison service offers psychiatric consultation for primary care physicians and other medical-surgical specialists at Jefferson. These faculty specialize in patients who have both psychiatric and medical or surgical problems.

For more information or to make a referral, please call 215-955-9545.

The Jefferson Outreach Program

The Jefferson Outreach Program (Outreach) is an outpatient substance abuse recovery program designed specifically for people who are struggling to find recovery from substances while also trying to deal with mental health issues. The program serves individuals who have either initiated or maintained some level of abstinence from substances or demonstrate a level of substance use that does not require more intensive treatment. Program staff focuses on empowering people to make a recovery into a process in which they better themselves holistically: psychologically, physically, socially, and spiritually.


To Apply to Outreach:
Call 215-955-8420 
to speak with the Outreach Program Clinician. Assessments can typically be arranged within 24-48 hours of a call or referral.


Program Features:

  • Individual counseling
  • Psychological evaluations
  • Medication management
  • Referrals for additional services

Our office is conveniently located in Center City, on Jefferson Hospital's campus, and is accessible by public transportation. Our address is 833 Chestnut East, which is at the corner of 9th Street and Chestnut Street. We are located on the 2nd floor, Suite 210E, in the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior.

The Jefferson Intensive Substance Abuse Treatment Program (IOP) is an outpatient recovery program that typically spans 12-16 weeks. The IOP offers a recovery-oriented approach to treating people who abuse any substance, including cocaine, alcohol, amphetamines, prescription pills, and marijuana. Recovery is achieved through a personal involvement in group therapy and educational sessions five days per week, along with active participation in family-centered activity, weekly individual psychotherapy and available psychiatric services, self-help groups, and community involvement opportunities. Program staff focuses on empowering the members of the program's "community," to make recovery into a process in which they can better themselves holistically: psychologically, physically, socially, and spiritually.


To Apply to IOP:
Call 215-790-9942 between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM to speak with our intake counselor. Applicants can be seen the same day and most people can initiate treatment within 24-48 hours of calling.


There is no waiting list to enter the Intensive Substance Abuse Treatment Program. Applicants are considered appropriate as long as they are at least 18 years of age, not requiring hospitalization or residential services, and are committed to attending Monday through Friday for several months. This treatment setting and approach are an appropriate step down from detoxification, inpatient care, or rehabilitation treatment.

Twelve-step meetings are available on-site and in the local community. As part of their recovery, clients are strongly encouraged to increase their involvement in the 12-step community as well as the greater substance abuse community of Philadelphia as an invaluable source of support and guiding path to a new way of living.

Program Features:

  • Assessment for appropriate level of care.
  • Intensive outpatient group therapy and structured activity groups on five half-days (morning or afternoon) a week for 12–16 weeks.
  • Psychiatric and medication assessments.
  • Weekly individual psychotherapy.
  • On-site 12-step meetings.
  • HIV and STD education, testing, and counseling.
  • Referrals for additional services.
  • Traditional weekly outpatient services as a step-down.
  • Transit tokens available for eligible clients.
  • Medical Assistance/CBH coverage accepted, alternative coverage (BHSI, self-pay) arranged.

The program is located at 21st Street and Washington Avenue (northeast corner, 2nd floor) in South Philadelphia, and the location is convenient to bus and auto routes.

The Jefferson Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Program (NARP) is an outpatient substance abuse recovery program that specializes in providing treatment to people who are addicted to opiates (such as heroin, oxycontin, percocet, etc.). Recovery is initiated and achieved through regular psychotherapy and available psychiatric services, paired with methadone maintenance therapy, to suppress symptoms of opiate withdrawal, decrease cravings, and block the effects of other opiates. Further support and development are found through engagement in on-site psychotherapy groups and peer-run self-help groups, as well as through involvement in the greater substance abuse community.


To Apply to NARP:
To initiate an application, call 215-790-9942 to speak with our intake counselor. Or call 215-735-5979 between 7:30 AM and 5:30 PM and speak to the "officer-of-the-day" to start an application. Most people can be started in the admission process within 48 hours of calling.


To be eligible to participate in this program, applicants must have a minimum of a one-year verifiable history of opiate use, supported by a urine drug screen. Applicants must also be over 18 years old, ambulatory, and not in need of residential care. Most importantly, those who want to join our community must be willing to commit to initiating a process of abstinence from substances of abuse so that rather than transitioning to another form of addiction, they are able to begin holistically healing themselves: psychologically, physically, socially, and spiritually.

Program Features:

  • Individual and group psychotherapies.
  • Family and couples therapy.
  • Medical and psychiatric evaluations.
  • Psychotropic medication management.
  • Referral for medical problems and coordination of care with primary care physicians.
  • Methadone monitoring and maintenance.
  • HIV and STD testing, education, and counseling.
  • Ambulatory detoxification and referral for continuing care.
  • Participation in educational informational and advocacy groups.
  • Narcotics Anonymous and Methadone Anonymous meetings on site.

We are readily accessible via public transportation. Our program is located in South Philadelphia, on the northeast corner of 21st Street and Washington Avenue.

Outpatient Services focus on the individual child and family needs, including problems such as depression, anxiety, abuse, behavioral problems, and autistic spectrum disorders. We can see children and adolescents of preschool and school age up through high school. The patient's needs are evaluated and care is coordinated with family and primary care physicians as indicated. Individual psychotherapy, family therapy, and medication management services are provided according to the specific needs of the patient. The goal is to help children and their families maximize their functional abilities to be successful in their lives.

For more information or to make a referral, please call 215-955-8420.