Psychiatric Center Family Support Team formed

Middletown —The Family Support Team of the Rockland Psychiatric Center, Middletown Campus, is a free program formed to support and educate families and friends with loved ones who have a mental illness. The Family Support Team is composed of four registered Nurses, Gail Alexander, Marlene Brutus-Bastein, Angella Burton and Arlene Riemann. Together, these mental health professionals have many years of mental health experience. The Family Support Team is located in the Schmitz Building on the Middletown Campus and provides services to families who reside in Orange County. The program is designed to assist family members and recipients who are 18 years of age or older. The team is dedicated to promoting mental health and improving the lives of family members and significant others, through advocacy, reassurance, support and hope for recovery. This team of professionals can help families understand the symptomatology of the various mental illnesses, and the medications and treatment modalities used to treat them. The team can also assist families and friends in advocating for and supporting their loved one and themselves. They can also help families navigate the local service system and help them understand medical and psychiatric terminologies as needed. Families who would like to use this free service should contact the Family Support Team at 845- 326-8084 or 326-8085, and arrangements will be made to meet at a convenient location.