What is EmPATH?
The first unit of its kind in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and only the third in Virginia, EmPATH is an innovative solution focused on providing a calming, therapeutic environment for adults ages 18+ who are experiencing a mental health crisis and need observation-level care. EmPATH’s focus is on stabilizing, starting appropriate treatment, providing therapeutic interventions, and connecting patients with ongoing outpatient mental healthcare and resources.
Care for mental disorders
When people are experiencing a mental health crisis, they go to the emergency room (ER) for help. An ER, however, may not have the calming, soothing environment people in crisis need for assessment and treatment. EmPATH is dedicated to providing observation-level emergency mental healthcare in an environment designed to reduce anxiety and promote healing.
In the EmPATH unit’s relaxed, comfortable setting, patients receive care that includes:
- Prompt behavioral health assessment
- Group and individual therapy by licensed clinicians
- Medication management
- Family support meetings (as needed)
- Comprehensive aftercare planning
If you are struggling
Getting to EmPATH
Benefits of EmPATH
A calming environment with fast help
- 14 recliner chairs in an open unit
- Serene, therapeutic environment with amenities
- Prompt behavioral health evaluation
- Ample clinical interventions
- Additional wellness rooms available
Behavioral healthcare before a crisis
Before symptoms reach crisis level, you can get the care you need without having to go to an ER. The Inova Psychiatric Assessment Center (IPAC) offers same-day outpatient psychiatric services for urgent mental health needs.
- In-person on a walk-in basis only
- IPAC hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- First-come, first-serve, with limited appointments
- Phone: 571-623-3515
- Patients may be referred to ER for treatment on the EmPATH unit
