Human Services Center

HSC Other Services

HSC offers services to enhance certain aspects of a patient's treatment. These services include:

• Occupational, Recreation, Physical, Educational, Speech and Hearing evaluation and therapy.
• Dental and Library Services.
• Medical consultants for neurology and ophthalmology are available.

HSC provides ECT services to patients who are in need of this treatment. The treatments are performed in the ECT Suite by a psychiatrist, an anesthetist and a team of registered nurses.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment for severe episodes of major depression, mania, and some types of schizophrenia. ECT is most effective in major depression, where it has a strong beneficial effect in up to 80-90 percent of patients.

It involves the use of a brief, controlled electrical current to produce a seizure within the brain. This seizure activity is believed to bring about certain biochemical changes which may cause symptoms to diminish or to even disappear. A series of seizures, generally 6 to 12, given at a rate of 3 per week, is required to produce such a therapeutic effect; although, sometimes a smaller or larger number may be necessary.

Although there have been many advances in the treatment of mental disorders in recent years, ECT remains the most effective, fastest and/or safest treatment for many cases, particularly when alternative treatments, usually medications, are either not effective or not safe.