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Description

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SELH is a 348 bed state operated psychiatric treatment facility serving adults adolescents and children Current programs and services provided by Southeast Louisiana Hospital are based on the belief that persons with mental illness can and do recover The concept of recovery and resiliency which places emphasis on the involvement of the individual and family personal responsibility and self direction is reflected in the design of treatment programs and services offered by the hospital Additionally as part of the recovery model SELH promotes client involvement in the day to day operation of the hospital

VISION
Southeast Louisiana Hospital SELH is a center of excellence in behavioral healthcare A pathway to recovery and empowerment

MISSION
Clients and families receive progressive and innovative services for their mental health needs and cooccurring disorders in collaboration with the staff family and community

VALUES
Dedicated Employees
Team approach

Competence

Respect

Integrity

Flexibility

Commitment to excellence

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History

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OUR HISTORY
Planning for the third psychiatric treatment facility for the State to be located in the New Orleans area began in the 1940s Originally plans were made to develop the Third Floor of Charity Hospital in New Orleans into a 500bed psychiatric unit However it was felt that a large number of beds were required and space was not available at Charity Hospital Therefore the decision was made to build a 2700 bed hospital which was thought to be the number of beds required in Mandeville LA Construction of a 400bed hospital was initiated which would be the first phase of construction Sometime later however with the introduction of Chlorpromazine and the Therapeutic Community Concept plans to expand the hospital to 2700 beds were dropped

In 1948 Senate Bill No 272 was entered by Messrs Richardson and Gardiner to create the third hospital of the State of Louisiana for the mentally ill The bill passed and Southeast Louisiana Hospital was created by Act No 238 approved by the Governor July 1 1948

Construction of the Adult Services Building three individual employee residences a four unit apartment complex and the Boiler Room were begun in 1950 and completed in 1952 The Admission and Diagnostic Building currently the Administration Building was also constructed by 1952 complete with an operating room Only one surgery a lobotomy was performed here before the surgery suite was permanently closed

1952
Southeast Louisiana Hospital opened to employees on October 6 1952 and received its first client on December 8 1952 a 22 year old white female admitted on a court commitment from Orleans Parish with a diagnosis of Schizophrenic Reaction Chronic Undifferentiated

1954 1963
Additional employee housing was constructed in 1954 1960 and 1962 In 1955 the Laundry building was added in 1956 Automotive Maintenance building and in 1961 Warehouse and Maintenance Offices

The Receiving Building and Adolescent Units were constructed in 1955 In 1959 the Adolescent Services opened with 84 beds which included a school operated under the Department of Education Special School District 1 That same year children ages 5 to 14 years were admitted to a small 25 bed unit The children also received services from Special School District 1

In 1955 construction began on the Alcoholism Treatment Service and opened to received patients in 1960 with a bed capacity of 60

In 1963 the hospital was accredited for the first time by the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Hospitals

1970 1972
In 197071 a new childrens complex was opened increasing bed capacity to 83 The complex includes a Recreation Building and Gymnasium

In 1970 a volunteer program the Thomas L Young Auxiliary was organized and continues to provide a variety of services to the people the hospital serves as well as funds for various projects and activities which are not funded through SELH budget appropriation

In 1972 a Vocational Rehabilitation Unit was added a joint venture of the Vocational Rehabilitation Department and the hospital The hospital provided 30 inpatient beds formerly the 25bed childrens unit and staff while VR provided personnel and equipment for the education desensitization and placement of patients in work or training situations

1982 1987
In 1982 a new seventyfour bed adolescent complex was opened which included a new Adolescent School and School Administration Building The old Adolescent Unit was closed and not used for several years until renovation was completed in 198687

1992 1993
On June 24 1992 a portion of the old adolescent unit was opened as a twenty bed brief stay adolescent unit named New Hope The average length of stay was 41 days But in March of 1997 the New Hope program was converted to an acute care adolescent unit with a length of stay under twentyone 21 days

In July of 1992 the Alcohol and Drug Unit formerly ATS Alcoholism Treatment Services was transferred to the management of DHH Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse but remains housed at SELH

In October of 1992 an eighteen 18 bed Adult Acute Psychiatric Unit staffed and managed by SELH opened at WashingtonSt Tammany Regional Medical Center in Bogalusa LA Serving the residents of Region IX it is a triagency partnership eg SELH Region IX Community Mental Health Services and LSUHCSD

On March 29 1993 SELH converted two of the five adolescent wards into a twentyfive bed Developmental Neuropsychiatric Program DNP for adolescent patients with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and developmental disability The remaining three adolescent wards served forty eight adolescent patients

The thirty 30 adult Vocational Rehabilitation inpatient beds were transferred to the management of Louisiana Rehabilitation Services LRS on December 12 1994 Included in the transfer were the twelve 12 positions assigned to the thirty bed unit

1995 2000
In FY 9596 SELH was reduced by thirteen 13 positions resulting in the closure of 20 child beds on August 7 1995

DNPOutpatient Services opened in July of 1995 at the New Orleans Mental Health Center in Algiers DNPOS is an outpatient collaboration between SELH and the Region 1 Office of Mental Health that targets individuals ages 2 through 22 utilizing an Assertive Community Treatment model with frequent client contacts and interventions delivered primarily in the home andor school setting It is one phase in the continuum of care including SELHs DNP InPatient Program that assesses and treats individuals who possess both a developmental disability and a psychiatric illness

As a result of budget cuts and a reduction in TO SELH closed 20 child and 16 adolescent beds This resulted in the eliminationlayoff of 28 positions on September 8 1996 With the positions remaining after the closure SELH opened two partial hospitalization day treatment programs on October 28 1996 one for children and one for adolescents These two programs called quotChallengesquot are housed in the two closed wards Through a collaborative agreement the St Tammany Parish School Board transports youth who live in St Tammany Parish to and from the programs

At the end of the Summer in 1998 the remaining two child dorms were consolidated into one 22 bed unit called quotHorizonsquot Concomitantly a dual track program was established an acute ten 10 day program in combination with a longer stay program of approximately 45 60 days

In the Spring of 1998 SELH applied for a grant through HUD to establish two Transitional Housing Units one for six female adults and the other for six male adults The grant was awarded and the Housing Units opened in August 2000 Both units utilize existing houses on campus and are staffed by a contract with a provider

2001 2005
In June 2001 the Child and Adolescent Programs were administratively consolidated into Youth Services The service provides 9 Children and 16 Adolescent Acute and Transitional inpatient beds and day treatment services for both Children and Adolescents

In September 2001 Strategies for Therapeutic Adult Rehabilitation STAR which is a part of Therapy Services opened to provide assistance to inpatients on Adult Services for the purpose of preparing individuals to return to the community

In July 2002 Southeast Louisiana Hospital assumed full ownership of DNP Outpatient Services in New Orleans which provides outpatient services to persons aged 2 to 22 who are dually diagnosed with a developmental disability and a psychiatric disorder

In December 2002 a HUD grant provided permanent housing for 8 Adults to live in apartments on the hospital grounds

In August 2005 for Hurricane Katrina the facility evacuated to East Louisiana State Hospital and was there for 30 days Due to staffing shortages the partial hospitalization program known as Challenges did not reopen Also as a result of Hurricane Katrina the Psychiatric Unit at MCLNO closed In an effort to meet community needs state beds were opened on Adult Services in December 2005

2006 Today
During FY 0607 SELH developed its first comprehensive strategic plan developed by stakeholders which includes the new vision mission and value statements for the hospitalDuring the same fiscal year Challenges day treatment program reopened

In August 2007 the hospital held a Summer KickOff Campaign entitled Project ERASE Eliminate Restraint and Seclusion Events SELH developed Serenity Rooms and Sensory Carts on each unit throughout the hospital as tools for clients to use in selfcalming

In August 2008 SELH evacuated to East Louisiana Mental Health System due to the threat of Hurricane Gustav and safely returned less than five days later

In March 2009 5 beds were added to the Adult Acute Unit

In August 2009 New Orleans Adolescent Hospital and Southeast Louisiana Hospital merged on the SELH campus This merger added the addition of 20 acute beds North and South Shore Transition Teams to assist clients discharged from acute unit beds and allowed for the separation of children and adolescents on separate units by adding 10 adolescent beds on Dorm 3 with a further 8 adolescent beds planned for Dorm 2

In December 2009 plans to open 8 additional beds on Dorm 2 were abandoned and the existing 10 adolescent beds on Dorm 3 relocated to Dorm 2

Fiscal Year 20102011 budget calls for elimination of Challenges Program North and South Shore Transition Teams and 17 Acute Unit beds All programs closed effective July 9 2010