1 of only 2 units in New England (and the only one in Connecticut) with comprehensive pediatric medical and mental health services

At Connecticut Children's Medical Psychiatric Integrated Care Unit, we support and treat children and adolescents from ages 6-17 with complex medical and psychiatric needs. Our inclusive approach consists of trauma-informed care with state-of-the-art medical capability and a multidisciplinary team.   

 

Unit Features

The Integrated Care Unit, also called IC5, was thoughtfully designed to accommodate 12 patients with complex medical and psychiatric needs. IC5 is located on the 5th floor of Connecticut Children’s main campus in Hartford, CT. All rooms are private with individual bathrooms, and we have dedicated rooms that are large enough to accommodate assistive devices.

Our team encourages wellness and healing through many touchpoints throughout our patients' stay. Residents can take comfort in a shared community space, rehabilitative gym, private consultation and treatment rooms, dedicated sensory-friendly rooms, and more. 

IC5 is a locked unit, meaning all patients and visitors have their belongings searched when they arrive. For the safety of all, IC5 is under video surveillance at all times. There is no video surveillance in bedrooms or bathrooms.

During the daytime, most time is spent outside the room in the community spaces. There is a schedule of activities every weekday including school, meals, snacks, social activities, physical movement, therapy, and doctor visits. Weekends have a less rigorous schedule with more visiting times for families.

Treatments & Services

After an initial evaluation, our team of experts will commit to: 

  • Ongoing medical treatment
  • Psycho-therapeutic groups
  • Psychotropic medication management
  • Short-term individual and family psychotherapies
  • Trauma-informed approach to care
  • Inpatient level of medical and psychiatric care
  • Multidisciplinary treatment planning
  • Physical, occupational and speech therapies
  • Nutrition support
  • Academic instruction and support
  • Disposition planning 

IC5 Community Agreement

A set of guidelines that patients, family members and staff agree to follow. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some examples of conditions we treat in our inpatient unit:

  • Somatic symptom and related disorders (such as functional neurological symptom disorder) with:
    • Severe decline in daily functioning or loss of activities of daily living
    • Severe depression or anxiety
    • Intensive integrated rehabilitation service needs
  • Disordered eating with:
    • Active suicidal ideation
    • Need for feeding tube support
  • Complex medical needs such as tracheostomy, advanced respiratory support or paraplegia accompanied by situational or chronic mental health crises.
  • Chronic medical conditions that significantly impact mental health

This depends on a variety of factors. Children must be between 6 and 17 years old with medical and psychiatric conditions that require an inpatient level of care. Additionally, we require that all patients be able to safely participate and engage in a social, group setting. 

Our team focuses on the clinical, psychological and social health of your child. Your child will work with the following team members:

To be admitted to IC5, all patients must first be referred by their provider. Sometimes this is a provider they see while admitted to the hospital, and sometimes this is a provider they see for an outpatient primary or specialty care visit. Once a referral is made, the IC5 team reviews each patient and determines if they meet criteria for admission. Often, seeking preapproval from your child’s health insurance is an important part of the review process.

Because of the busy daily schedule with school, therapies, and doctor visits, families do not stay on IC5 with their children, and families do not sleep in the unit with their child. 

There are visiting hours every day between 3 – 4:30 pm and 6 – 8 pm. On weekends, families may also visit between 11 am – 12:30 pm. 

Yes. Patients may list up to 4 adults (must be over 18 years old) who can call IC5 to speak with them. Patients can also call these 4 adults from the unit phone. 

Patients do not have their cell phones with them on IC5. Your child’s cell phone must be kept either in their locker or brought home by a family member.

Yes. Patients on IC5 complete schoolwork every weekday morning for 2 hours. With a guardian's permission, our teachers can communicate with your child’s school to coordinate schoolwork. We supply Chromebooks for students to access schoolwork from their district school.

Patients wear their own clothes, provided they are able to maintain their safety in those clothes. There are certain restrictions on the types of clothes that can be worn on IC5, including no zippers, drawstrings, hoods, belts, scarves, hats, jewelry, or underwire. When each patient first arrives to IC5, they undergo a supervised clothing change and skin check to ensure their safety and the safety of their peers and staff.

Patients can bring their own toiletry items from home. They will be stored in their locker, and our staff will distribute them whenever they are needed. There are certain guidelines on toiletry items that are reviewed with patients and families when they arrive.

We all need to take a break sometimes. We encourage patients to use the sensory room and quiet nook areas of the unit when they need time for themselves. They can do so individually or with our highly trained behavioral health milieu technician staff. We do not allow patients to spend time in their rooms during the day. Patient rooms are closed during the day but can be accessed to use the bathroom or to get an item needed from their room. To promote sleep hygiene, daytime napping is not encouraged. In situations where there are clinical indications for daytime rest, time for rest can be built into a behavioral plan as designed by the treatment team.  While there are no televisions or access to the internet, every room has large touch screen monitors with games, puzzles, drawing space, and meditation sounds.

Each child is unique. Our team makes an individualized treatment plan for each patient which takes into account their unique circumstances. The average length of stay is about 2 weeks.

Is Your Child in Crisis?

In Connecticut, you can also call 211 or 988 for emergency or crisis intervention. For free, confidential support, call 1.800.273.8255 or text “HOME” to 741741.