Patient & Family Library

Patient and Family Library
and Learning Center

Michael Weiss, M.S.W., Director

The library, an information center designed for patients and their families, provides mental health information on disorders, treatments community resources and coping. The library has a number of resources available to patients and their families such as books, brochures, newsletters, computers and Internet access, videos, classes, and discussion groups.

The mission of the library is to serve as a resource for patients and their families providing networking opportunities, information and psychoeducation about mental disorders, treatment, services, coping strategies, research opportunities, and patient's rights.

Activities During 2000

This year has been the second year of existence for The Patient & Family Library and Learning Center, and the first full year of operation. Through November, there have been 821 visits by 365 individuals, including 63 family members. The primary visitors to the library have been inpatients from the General Clinical Research Unit and the Schizophrenia Research Unit. Inpatients from the Washington Heights Community Services and outpatients from the Audubon and Inwood Clinics, patients from the various research clinics, and family members have made use of the library, as well. The most popular resource in the library has been the computers for access to the internet, email, writing letters and resumes, and computer classes. The second area of interest has been the mental health books, especially for those patients who like to read and want more information on their specific disorder. In addition, staff members come into the library in order to see what it has to offer, and to look at specific resources for patients with whom they work.

During the course of the year, there have been a number of projects and events that have been undertaken. The major event of the year was the Official Opening Ceremony and Open House held on March 15, 2000. The Opening Ceremony was conducted by Dr. David Strauss, who is the person most responsible for the existence of the library. Dr. John Oldham spoke and performed the ribbon-cutting procedure, and Ken Steele (who, sadly, has since passed away) also spoke.

As part of the preparations for the Official Opening, additional furnishings and decorations were added to the library, creating a more inviting and comfortable environment. In August, OMH approved an $800 grant for medical newsletters, brochures, and videos. In November, the library acquired a laser printer, which is connected to all the computers in the library.

In June, Dr. David Strauss moved from the position of Clinical Director to Chairman of the IRB, and was no longer overseeing the library. The Library Advisory Committee then became responsible for overseeing the library, with Helle Thorning, Director of Social Work, as Chair of the Committee. The other members of the Committee, which meets monthly, are Carmen Cardona-Lake, Social Worker on the Washington Heights inpatient unit, Matt Gold, Director of the Departments of Occupational and Recreational Therapy and Volunteer Services, David Lane, Director of the Psychiatric Institute Research Library, Marcia Michaelson, Director of Nursing, Sandra Rosenblum, Director of Education and Training, and Michael Weiss, Coordinator of the Patient & Family Library. The membership of the Committee is in the process of expanding, and Dr. Lisa Kochan, who is developing patient education materials on medications for the Pharmacy, joined in December.

The library has benefited at times from the services of volunteers, who have opened the library on weekends and evenings. In addition, during the summer a Youth Worker was assigned part-time to the library, and was able to enter all of the mental health books into a computerized database.

A major project has been the establishing of the Family Orientation Group that meets every other Wednesday evening in the library. This is a multiple family group run by two social work interns, where family members of newly admitted inpatients are oriented to Psychiatric Institute. The Family Orientation Group began meeting in October, and utilizes a psychoeducational approach. On the alternate Wednesday evenings when the Orientation Group does not meet, the social work interns provide library outreach to families and patients on the inpatient units.

On December 12^th, Dr. Xavier Amador gave a very well-received presentation to the NAMI-NYC Metro monthly meeting on the topic of his recent book, I am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help! This presentation was co-sponsored by the library.

Plans for the future of the Library include: on-going preparation for the JCAHO visit; the hiring of a part-time social worker to open the library on weekends, and provide outreach to the inpatient units and the local community; on-going outreach to the Research Clinics; the possible organizing of a writing group for patients, in conjunction with New York City Voices; developing a web page for the Library on the Institute website.