The Shores Mental Health in Westport, part of Hartford HealthCare’s St. Vincent’s Medical Center, offers a Welcome Center that provides a streamlined alternative to an emergency department visit when medically and clinically appropriate. At the Welcome Center, medically stable individuals can schedule a telephone behavioral health assessment to determine next steps, which could include a same-day in-person assessment. People who require emergency medical attention still receive appropriate care.
The Shores aims to make accessing inpatient services safer, more efficient and less overwhelming for individuals and families. James F. O’Dea, PhD, MBA, senior vice president of Hartford HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Network, said: “The Shores represents a new, unified identity for the long-standing behavioral health services of St. Vincent’s Medical Center building on decades of trusted care in Fairfield County. It reflects a continued commitment to expanding access, enhancing services, and meeting growing community needs. As demand for care continues to grow, this unified identity allows us to better connect patients with the full range of services available to support their recovery.”
The adult inpatient program treats acute psychiatric conditions and substance use disorders, with medical monitoring for withdrawal. The child and adolescent program provides developmentally appropriate treatment, with families partnering on individualized care plans. Outpatient care continues at Shores locations in Norwalk and Bridgeport, with partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, therapy and medication management. Adults with treatment-resistant depression can receive transcranial magnetic stimulation or electroconvulsive therapy.
“The Welcome Center is part of the broader services offered through The Shores Mental Health, which provides comprehensive inpatient, outpatient and interventional behavioral health care for adults, adolescents and children,” said Dr. Tobias Wasser, chair of psychiatry and behavioral health for the Fairfield region at Hartford HealthCare, “Its multidisciplinary team includes psychiatrists, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, therapists and other medical and behavioral health specialists who work together to develop individualized treatment plans and support patients throughout their recovery.”
