Mental Health Facility Responds to Growth With New and Expanded Facilities in Township

Matthew Hersh

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility and renovation project for Princeton House Behavioral Health marks a new era for the efficacy of the facility's in- and out-patient treatment of psychiatric patients, said Richard Wohl, the facility's vice president.

"Princeton House has very simply experienced dramatic and regular growth over many years," he said.

Mr. Wohl, who has been with Princeton House for 13 years, said that the current facility has experienced an influx in psychiatric emergencies fostering the need for expansion.

"When we arrived, there were about 75 staff members and 800 patients every year," Mr. Wohl said. He went on to say those numbers have increased to a staff of 275 and treatment of more than 2,700 patients per year.

Out of Space

"We have simply run out of space when you look at the growth," he said.

The facility, which is a unit of the greater Princeton HealthCare System, provides individualized care for those with behavioral health conditions, emotional difficulties, and addictions.

The first phase of construction is for a new facility along Herrontown Road that will accommodate patients by adding a two-floor, 25,000 square-foot building. This expansion will make available 48 new psychiatric beds. Completion of the first phase is planned by early 2005.

The second phase of construction is to renovate the existing 65,000 square-foot facility at 905 Herrontown Road. The building was originally constructed as a nursing home and improvements will offer an ideal logistical layout including more group space for the patients, improved office space, increased staffing space, enhanced nursing support, and monitoring, Mr. Wohl said. The new plan also calls for more comfortable patient rooms.

"This is the chance for us to operate out of a space built specifically for this purpose," Mr. Wohl said.

In addition to general growth in the area, Mr. Wohl partially attributed the increase in demand for patient accommodation to the New Jersey state psychiatric program Short Term Care. That program tries "to create a deterrent for acutely mentally ill people to be treated in community hospitals," and promotes independent entities such as Carrier Clinic, Mr. Wohl said.

Construction is set for completion in 2006.

Added Support

Mr. Wohl emphasized the benefit of receiving the added support from another institution, in this case, Princeton HealthCare System. He said that access to an emergency room, a nursing home, a medical center, consultation, labs, and a pharmacy all result in more expeditious and more effective treatment.

Throughout the construction period, Princeton House Behavioral Health has taken temporary residence at 471 Mt. Lucas Road, the former site of Caliper Corporation.