Emergency Psychiatry

Our Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), located at Erie County Medical Center, sees the highest number of patients of any CPEP in New York State. Most psychiatric emergencies and all involuntary psychiatric patients from Erie County come through this service. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to work with a broad range of psychopathologies, using a wide variety of methods for patient management.

During this rotation, you will evaluate patients coming into the emergency room at a critical point for intervention, and you will provide their treatment and disposition using pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, crisis intervention and other methods. You will quickly evaluate patients in crisis, including pediatric and geriatric patients. You will assess suicide risk and other safety issues, and identify and treat patients with dual diagnoses of substance abuse and psychiatric disorders.

Residents take part in all aspects of CPEP. You will work cooperatively with emergency room staff from across the disciplines, incorporating medical and neurological information into your psychiatric assessments. You will also be responsible for patients in extended observation beds, following them for up to 72 hours.

In addition, you will provide consultation to Crisis Services and the hospital’s emergency department.

A supervising psychiatrist is available on-site 24 hours per day ensuring excellent supervision of your work during this intense but highly rewarding rotation.

PGY-2 or PGY-4

Three months

On average, you will see five to eight patients per day in the triage area and have one to five patients at a time in extended observation.

You will treat a variety of disorders, including psychotic disorders, mania, adjustment disorders and many others common to the emergency setting. Patients may be intoxicated, agitated, experiencing altered consciousness, having seizures, threatening suicide or behaving aggressively.