At the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) at Binghamton General Hospital, 4,731 patients were evaluated last year, compared to just over 2,000 evaluations when the program began in 1983. The CPEP is the region’s single entry point for psychiatric crisis evaluation and treatment.

According to Leslie Major, M.D., director of mental health services for United Health Services Hospitals, more patients are seeking emergency care because it is less common for mental health patients to be permanently institutionalized. He said one half of the CPEP patient evaluations now show a substance abuse component in their evaluation.

“These cases used to be the exception and they are now the rule,” Dr. Major said. “We have extended our level of care to work closely with substance abuse services in our out-patient and in-patient care programs.”

CPEP is a tri-agency collaboration between the Binghamton Psychiatric Center, United Health Services Hospitals and the Broome County Mental Health Clinic. The program began in 1983 as the Emergency Mental Health Services/Crisis Center and was renamed and licensed as CPEP in 1995. Today the staff of 35 includes specially trained social workers, nurses and mental health experts. The program provides emergency screening at the hospital, mobile crisis services, an in-patient observation unit, and a 24-hour crisis hotline. Last year the hotline received approximately 5,000 crisis calls.

The CPEP staff features a specific child and youth team to handle the rising numbers of children in the program. According to agency statistics, 570 children under the age of 18 were treated through CPEP in 1995, compared to 978 in 2002.

“Today we are very focused on caring for youth because they represent nearly 25 per cent of our patients,” Dr. Major said. “The crisis evaluation and crisis resolution services that the team provides for these patients serve as a tremendous benefit to the community.”