Today is

[ Administrative Services |  Home Page  |  DHMH Main Page  |  Clinical Services ]

OUR MISSION

The Carter Center, an acute inpatient psychiatric facility, provides quality care and services which are based upon the needs of patients, their families, and the community. These services are provided by staff committed to working collaboratively in a safe and caring environment.

OUR VISION

Walter P. Carter Mental Health Center will promote excellence in care and services by continuous evaluation and improvement. This will be accomplished through effective leadership, consumer feedback and team collaboration.

OUR VALUES

WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

• DIGNITY
• EXCELLENCE
• RESPECT
• COLLABORATION
• ACCURACY
• EFFECTIVENESS
• EFFICIENCY
• COMPETENCE & SAFETY

GOALS

The Walter P. Carter Center goals are consistent with the goals of the Mental Hygiene Administration and they are to:

• Prevent unnecessary hospitalization.
• Encourage community support and aftercare services to reduce the number of persons in institutions.
• Provide priority care to those categories or persons deemed mentally ill who lack resources for private mental health care.
• Provide a coordinated array of acute mental health services with easy access for patients and continuity of services from admission through discharge and aftercare.

OBJECTIVES

• To offer appropriate, comprehensive mental health care to the center's service area and the specific populations mandated by the governing authority.
• To make services equally available and accessible to all individuals served by the center.
• To offer treatment in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment, as indicated by each patient's treatment needs.
• To provide a safe and therapeutic environment for the delivery of service.
• To provide timely, quality, therapeutic services in order to increase patients level of functioning.
• To develop and maintain mechanisms to ensure continuity of care for patients served at the center. This includes appropriate discharge coordination and adequate communication about patients to programs jointly providing services to patients.
• To abide by the principles and standards of licensing, certifying and accrediting authorities.
• To promote the professional growth and development of staff working at the center.
• To be a training site for students of the mental health professions.
• To promote research projects relevant to the center's mission.
• To develop and maintain relationships in the community with individuals, organizations and agencies that support and/or provides services to the mentally ill.

In order to ensure that the quality of the services provided to patients is subject to ongoing efforts toward quality improvement, a Quality Improvement Council (QIC) was established. The QIC is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer, and its' membership consists of the Chief Operating Officer representing Administrative Services, the Clinical Director, the President of the Medical Staff, the Assistant to the Clinical Director representing Clinical Services Administration, the Director of Quality Improvement, the Director of Staff Development and Training, the Directors of the Departments representing clinical activities and the Director of Information Management.

From this Web site you can learn more about the Walter P. Carter Center and the services offered to its' patients. Please contact us directly if you should have any questions or if you need additional information.

Thank you for visiting this web site.