More mental health services available in Bergen County
Dawn Furnas//June 8, 2023//
PHOTO: DEPOSIT PHOTOS
PHOTO: DEPOSIT PHOTOS
More mental health services available in Bergen County
Dawn Furnas//June 8, 2023//
Listen to this articleThere’s a new resource for mental health in northern New Jersey, thanks to a partnership between Valley Health System and nonprofit organization Christian Health.
On June 6, the two health care providers unveiled the Valeridge Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness, located on The Valley Hospital’s Ridgewood campus.
The facility, which is staffed by Christian Health practitioners, offers services for all ages, with a focus on maternal mental health and child and adolescent services.
Dr. Daniel Finch, medical director of psychiatry and behavioral health for both Valley Health System and Christian Health, will lead a team of experts offering specialized services focusing on:
- Preventative medicine and wellness initiatives;
- Pregnancy and postpartum care;
- Counseling for pregnancy loss and bereavement;
- Access to Christian Health mental health services, including Ramapo Ridge Behavioral Health, an inpatient hospital; Gracepoint, a partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient care program; and LiveWell Counseling, an outpatient counseling center;
- Coordinated transition from inpatient (The Valley Hospital) to outpatient (Valley Medical Group);
- Child and adolescent therapy and medication management.
“We’ve assembled a terrific team of professionals who are committed to providing critical mental health services to our community and making a positive impact on the lives of those we are entrusted to serve,” Finch said in a statement.
Finch is board certified in adult psychiatry, specializing in perinatal psychiatry and emergency psychiatry, with sensitivity to those in the LGBTQIA+ community and individuals with a history of trauma, according to Valley Health.
Elizabeth Finke, who specializes in maternal mental health and trauma, will provide psychotherapy services.
According to the World Health Organization, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety and depression increased globally by 25%. Closer to home, according to Bergen County’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment, 27.7% of respondents believe that their mental health has “become worse” since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020.
Additionally, mental health was described as a “major problem” by 67.2% of respondents in the Bergen County report, the leading area of concern, topping substance abuse (46.7%); nutrition, physical activity and weight (44.9%); diabetes (39%); COVID-19 (28.6%); and 12 other health-related categories.
