Silver Hill Hospital Explained

Silver Hill Hospital
State:	Connecticut
Country:	US
Funding:	Non-profit
Type:	Specialist
Beds:	129 ^[1]
Speciality:	Psychiatric hospital
Founded:	1931

Silver Hill Hospital is a non-profit psychiatric hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut^[2] established in 1931. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and provides behavioral health care treatment.^[3] This includes psychiatric and addiction services.

From 2010 to 2018, Silver Hill Hospital hosted the annual Giving Hope Gala, a fundraiser to benefit the Patient Financial Aid Fund, which assists patients lacking funds to cover the costs for the hospital's long-term residential treatment programs. The gala was founded by Michael Cominotto and husband Dennis Basso.^[4]

History

The Silver Hill Foundation was established by Dr. William B. Terhune in 1934^[5] as a "medical and psychotherapeutic unit to diagnose and treat functional nervous disorders".^[6] Terhune was the founder of the psychiatric department at Yale University^[7] and had promoted the idea that psychiatric patients not be treated differently than other patients with a medical condition.^[8] The original facility was established as a non-profit, voluntary psychiatric hospital and was a member of the American Hospital Association. It could treat up to 60 patients at a time.

In 1958, the foundation dedicated a community clinic building.

It was located on the site of the former Silver Hill Inn as a setting to help patients described as "nervous, depressed, anxious, or malingering."^[9] It was located in the Silvermine River Valley of Fairfield County, straddling the borders of Wilton and New Canaan, Connecticut.^[10]

Starting in 1971, focus was placed on building the hospital's substance abuse program. By 1984, that program included a psychiatrist, an associate psychiatrist, a psychologist, substance abuse counselors, nursing staff, and a recreational and occupational therapist.^[2]

The inpatient acute care unit was built in 1985^[11] to provide treatment to patients whose mental illness call for constant supervision.^[9]

In 2012, The Chronic Pain and Recovery Center program launched.^[12] In 2015, both an eating disorder program for adults^[13] and an outpatient opioid addiction program launched.^[14]

Facilities

The hospital's 42-acre campus includes former family homes acquired by the hospital's board over time.^[11] These include:

• Scavetta House, which serves as a all gender dual diagnosis (substance abuse, and something else) residential facility.^[15]
• River House, a 1913 English Tudor style home that has served as a patient residence since the 1980s^[15] and now houses the Dialectical Behavior Therapy residential program,^[16] which helps patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder regulate feelings by charting emotions.^[9]
• Klingenstein House, a 1920s guesthouse that now houses the Adolescent Transitional Living Program.^{[16] [17] [18]}
• Terhune built a chapel on the property, which was later named in his honor.

In addition, Dr. Terhune built a chapel on the property, which was later named in his honor.^[19]

Notable patients

• John Vernou "Black Jack" Bouvier, the father of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, spent six weeks at Silver Hill in the 1950s for treatment of alcoholism. During his stay, Dr. Terhune encouraged Bouvier to drink large amounts of water and take walks on the property to curb any urges to drink. Bouvier was told to avoid discussing his drinking with anyone, including close family members. Upon his discharge, Bouvier quickly returned to drinking.^[20]
• New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia spent a month at Silver Hill in 2015 for treatment of alcoholism.^[21]
• Musician Billy Joel was admitted to Silver Hill for 10 days in 2002 to receive treatment and counseling for substance abuse.^[22]

External links

• Silver Hill Hospital website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Behavioral Health Care . ct.gov/ . February 7, 2017. ...and Silver Hill Hospital, Inc. with 129 licensed HMIP beds in New Canaan..
2. Sheehy . Michael . 1984 . Silver hill foundation substance abuse service . Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment . 1 . 4 . 287–289 . 10.1016/0740-5472(84)90009-6 . 6536770 . January 18, 2017 .
3. Web site: The Joint Commission Quality Check . qualitycheck.org . January 18, 2017.
4. News: Zilkha . Bettina . November 18, 2015 . 2015 Silver Hill Hospital Giving Hope Gala Raises Over $1 Million . Forbes . January 18, 2017 .
5. Web site: Backalenick . Irene . The Bridgeport Post 11 Apr 1965, page Page 49 . 2023-06-23 . Newspapers.com . en.
6. Web site: The Boston Globe 30 Sep 1958, page 3 . 2023-06-23 . Newspapers.com . en.
7. Web site: By . 1987-06-28 . DR. W.B. TERHUNE, 93, PSYCHIATRIST . 2023-06-23 . Sun Sentinel . en-US.
8. News: 1987-06-29 . DR. WILLIAM B. TERHUNE . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-06-23 . 0362-4331.
9. Slocum . Bill . September 1, 2007 . Mending Body and Soul. New Canaan - Darien Magazine . January 18, 2017.
10. Web site: About Silver Hill Psychiatric Hospital | Mental Health Hospital CT . Silverhillhospital.org . 2016-09-25.
11. Only in the Darkness Can You See the Stars . January 18, 2017 . Visionaries . PBS . 21 .
12. News: Kang . Crystal . August 28, 2014 . Silver Hill Hospital takes nondrug approach to chronic pain . Fairfield Business Journal . January 18, 2017 .
13. Enos . Gary A. . November 9, 2015 . Silver Hill launches multi-level eating disorders program . Addiction Professional . January 18, 2017.
14. News: Dinan . Michael . March 5, 2015 . Q&A: Silver Hill Launches Outpatient Opioid Addiction Program . New Canaanite . January 18, 2017 .
15. News: Fisher . Joshua . May 24, 2014 . Silver Hill receives historic preservation award. The New Canaan Advertiser . January 31, 2017.
16. News: Sigurd . Ackerman . June 5, 2015 . Silver Hill gets Historic Preservation award . The New Canaan Advertiser . January 18, 2017 .
17. Web site: Klingenstein House, Silver Hill Hospital . New Canaan Preservation Alliance . March 8, 2017.
18. Web site: New Canaan Preservation Alliance to hold annual awards event . Houston Chronicle . April 22, 2015 . March 8, 2017.
19. Web site: Advertiser . New Canaan . 2012-11-26 . Silver Hill Hospital's chapel turns 50 . 2023-06-23 . New Canaan Advertiser . en-US.
20. Book: Klein, Edward . All Too Human: The Love Story of Jack and Jackie Kennedy . 1997 . Simon and Schuster . 978-0-671-50191-4 . en.
21. Web site: Sabathia: No turning back after deciding on alcohol rehab . 2023-06-23 . USA TODAY . en-US.
22. Web site: Tampa Bay Times 20 Jun 2002, page 32 . 2023-08-08 . Newspapers.com . en.