McGee Substance Abuse Unit
The McGee Unit of the Berkshire Recovery Center provides detoxification and acute inpatient medical and psychiatric stabilization/treatment to all persons age 15 and older who are seeking help with an identified drug or alcohol problem. If a person meets admission criteria, he or she will be admitted to the McGee Unit without discrimination regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical disability, ethnicity or ability to pay. The McGee Unit is located at the BMC Hillcrest Campus. Admission criteria are based on the need for an inpatient level of care that may include:
- Detoxification from alcohol or opiates or opioids, including prescription narcotics
- Detoxification and stabilization from other drugs (alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine/crack) for OTP (methadone or Suboxone maintained patients) or patients in pain management programs using additional non-prescribed opiates/opioids or other substances
- Enhanced Dual Diagnosis detoxification and stabilization for patients with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders or patients in pain management programs
- Stabilization from the effects of or compulsive use of other drugs of abuse
- Rehabilitation treatment and relapse prevention from all substances as authorized by insurance/MCO contracts
- Networking and referral to appropriate transitional residential recovery or outpatient continuing care
- Family, significant others and network meetings to support recovery
The McGee Unit also offers treatment for clients with co-existing mental and emotional disorders. The unit psychiatrist consults daily and assists the treatment team by providing assessment and prescribed psychotropic medication as needed. Psychiatric consultation coverage is offered 24-hours per day, seven days a week.
The McGee Unit is fully integrated in Berkshire Medical Center 's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, which is in a clinical collaboration with the Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. This collaboration offers a seamless continuum of residential and outpatient programs beyond detoxification, medical and/or psychiatric stabilization and acute residential treatment that include a full of range of services for both substance abuse and mental health recovery, including:
- Crisis Intervention and Stabilization
- Residential Treatment (Halfway House and Supportive Housing Recovery Apartments)
- Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization and Substance Abuse Day Treatment
- Outpatient Services for Clients, Families and Friends
- 12-Step Recovery Programs
- Liaison with Probation and Other Community Services and Agencies
- Berkshire Batterer's Intervention Program
Continuing care and discharge planning assists the client to continue actively pursuing recovery from addictive disease. Referrals are made to residential, outpatient counseling, medical and psychiatric/mental health services as appropriate for each client.
The McGee Unit also coordinates services with the criminal justice system for clients on probation or parole, and other agencies, including:
- Massachusetts Department of Mental Health
- Massachusetts Department of Social Services
- Massachusetts Department of Youth Services
- Transitional Support Services
- Housing Agencies and Homeless Shelters
- Massachusetts Criminal Court System (Parole and Probation) and Civil Court System (to provide detoxification and stabilization treatment for addictions for female and some male clients civilly committed under a Section 35 Court Order or Involved with DSS, DYS, or DMH
