Department of Psychiatry

Alex Orlikov, MD
Service Director

Among the safest and most effective treatments available in psychiatry, ECT remains a critical option for individuals with certain refractory or severe psychiatric conditions. ECT is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms in severely depressed patients and can be very effective for the treatment of other mental disorders, including schizophrenia, acute psychoses and severe mania. Despite historical misconceptions, ECT can safely help individuals whose symptoms have not responded to other treatments. Today, the procedure is administered with general anesthesia and close monitoring, minimizing side effects and risks. We currently provide this service to adults admitted to our inpatient units.

Maureen H. Lavelle, LICSW
Director of Social Work

Elliott B. Martin, MD
Service Director, Medical Psychiatry

The Psychiatry Triage team is comprised of independently licensed social workers with significant experience performing crisis evaluations.

Evaluation and Admissions

Upon arrival to the Emergency Department, individuals seeking psychiatric evaluation are first seen by the Emergency Department clinical team for medical clearance.  The social worker will then psychiatrically assess the patient, and speak with referring providers as well as family members when indicated. Our goal is to determine the safest, most appropriate level of care and disposition for the patient.  If the patient meets criteria for a psychiatric admission, a bed search and insurance authorization will be conducted by the social worker.

In the Emergency Department, physicians from the Medical Psychiatry Service are also available for consultations around medication management and care planning.

Contact Us

The Psychiatry Triage team staffs the Emergency Department 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For questions about the evaluation and admissions process, contact Psychiatry Triage at 617-243-6319.

Elliott B. Martin, MD
Service Director

The Medical Psychiatry Service at Newton-Wellesley Hospital has evolved in response to the current and expanding need for psychiatric intervention in the acute care setting, both in the hospital and in the emergency room. To meet the needs of our community and staff, we maintain a presence throughout the hospital, on-call 24-7 to our colleagues in all departments.

Broadly, the service encompasses consultation-liaison psychiatry, emergency psychiatry, and addiction medicine. We serve pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations.

Traditionally, medical psychiatry has been conceptualized as the interface of medicine and psychiatry. Our philosophy at Newton-Wellesley is that the two are inseparable, and our job is to work alongside our medical and surgical colleagues to provide the best all-around team care. We see thousands of patients every year in consultation.

In addition to assisting in acute behavioral crises, we provide specialized pediatric psychiatric consultation, including expertise in managing medically compromised individuals with eating disorders. We frequently help manage neuropsychiatric issues in the medically ill such as symptoms of dementia or delirium. We also offer expert evaluation and care for medically ill patients struggling with substance use disorders and co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders.