Vantage Health System's Services
Vantage Health System provides a comprehensive range of community based mental health, addiction, developmental disabilities, and eldercare services to individuals and families. These include children with emotional problems, adolescents with addiction challenges, adults with serious mental illnesses, and elders with Alzheimer’s disease.
On an annual basis, Vantage Health System serves more than 3,000 individuals/families primarily living in twenty-five towns in Bergen County, New Jersey:
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- Alpine
- Bergenfield
- Cliffside Park
- Closter
- Cresskill
- Demarest
- Dumont
- Edgewater
- Englewood
- Englewood Cliffs
- Fairview
- Fort Lee
- Harrington Park
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- Haworth
- Leonia
- Northvale
- Norwood
- Old Tappan
- Palisades Park
- Ridgefield
- Ridgefield Park
- River Vale
- Rockleigh
- Teaneck
- Tenafly
Access Center - (201) 567-0059
The Vantage Health System provides a centralized access point for all outpatient services at our Dumont and Englewood locations. To contact our Access Center please call (201) 567-0059. The Access Center is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00PM.
Outpatient Services
Psychiatric Services
Vantage Health System has a staff of highly skilled psychiatrists who offer a comprehensive set of services to all of the programs operated by VHS. These skilled professionals are an integral part of our outpatient and residential services. Our psychiatrists are available for assessment, medication monitoring and consultation.
Counseling And Therapy
Vantage offers a full range of counseling and therapy services to people of all ages. In addition to our family counseling services, child and adolescent treatment services, and addiction treatment services, VHS offers a wide range of individual and group counseling and therapy options. Our Access Center can provide you information on the services that can meet your needs.
Family Counseling Service
For more than 40 years, our family counseling programs have been a leading provider of comprehensive therapeutic and crisis-intervention programs for families in northern New Jersey. Integrated services enable children and adults of all ages to solve individual difficulties, improve their relationships, and engage in healthy family dynamics. Whether help is needed to withstand a crisis, handle a loss, or confront a long-standing issue, we'll match the client with the appropriate service.
Family Counseling Service's programs include psychiatric evaluations, consultations, and crisis intervention services. Psychotherapy and confidential counseling are available to help persons deal with issues such as depression, parent-child conflicts, bereavement, suicidal feelings, anxiety and stress, marital tensions, chronic illness, family violence, and work/school difficulties. Group and marital therapy are also offered.
Child and Adolescent Treatment Services
When children and adolescents face difficulties, they need to be treated differently than adults. With many years of experience in caring for children and youths behind them, our team of skilled professionals is uniquely qualified to help children overcome behavioral and family problems, deal with child learning disabilities, and cope with other family struggles such as adoption. Our services include individual, group, and family counseling, medical and psychological assessments, crisis intervention, and referrals.
Addiction Treatment Services
This specialized program provides comprehensive, integrated services for persons seeking to overcome alcohol and/or drug addictions. Because substance abuse affects not just the individual, our team of physicians, certified alcoholism and drug counselors, and other mental health professionals can treat the entire family.
Our Substance Abuse Recovery Service offers clients the convenience of receiving all their treatment in one central location. Outpatient programs and flexible office hours enable clients to receive treatment with minimal disruption to their work and family schedules.
These services include:
- Evaluation
- Individual Counseling
- Group Counseling
- Family Counseling
- Couples Counseling
- Education & Prevention Services
- Outreach programs
- Special Programming For Adolescent
- Urine screening
- Referrals To Inpatient Treatment Services
Day Treatment Services
The Day Treatment Program is a comprehensive, structured, outpatient mental health program designed to maximize the client's independence and community living skills. The therapeutic environment is developed by the partnership of clients and a multi-disciplinary team of professionally trained staff.
The program serves persons with severe and persistent mental illness who experience significant functional limitations, those with a history of psychiatric hospitalizations, or those at risk of psychiatric hospitalization.
The goals of the program are to:
- Prevent hospitalization
- Assist in transition to the community
- Preserve functioning
- Prevent relapse
- Maximize the individual's potential
- Assessment and psychiatric evaluation
- Medication monitoring
- Psycho-education
- Counseling (individual, group and family)
- Case management
- Chemical dependency counseling (MICA)
- Pre-vocational and vocational
- Social/recreational.
The program provides a full range of services necessary to meet the needs of individual clients. Program services are provided to clients on a half or full day basis, 5 days per week (Monday - Friday).
Geriatric Consultation Service
Download our brochure (pdf ~250kb)Our Mission
To provide comprehensive assessment, education and planning for elders and/or their families, and to provide geriatric stage of life education to the community at large.
- Bergen County has the largest number of persons age 60+ in the State of NJ. Consequently, County leadership has recognized that a large group of baby boomers are finding themselves for the first time needing information to meet the care needs of their parents, and prospectively, themselves.
- For National Senior Citizen Month in May 2006, County Executive Dennis McNerney called for a focus on "quality life issues necessary for maintaining health and well being as one ages" and used the equation:
Independence + Dignity + Choice = Healthy Aging
Are you the 1 in 4 who has a relative who is growing older and showing signs of change?
You are not alone. When an elderly family member exhibits changes that are uncharacteristic and affect their ability to maintain their independence and/or care for themselves, concern and confusion result. There are many unanswered questions. Vantage's Geriatric Consultation Service is available to explore those questions and help you find the answers.
How We Can Help You
Vantage Health System has a 30 year reputation for excellence in geriatric services. Building on that history, our experienced geriatric staff will share their expertise to advise you about the changes which occur during this stage of life and in making the best choices that help your loved one and your particular family situation.
You can expect us to:
- Assess the changes
- Evaluate your loved one's needs
- Explore with you options for care
- Assist in the referral and coordination of services
- Provide counseling, if necessary, to assist in understanding the changes which are occurring within the family and affect family members of every age.
Fee
Hourly fee based service
Contact
Nancy Bortinger, LCSW
Director, Geriatric Services
201-384-7734
nbortinger@vantagenj.org
Location
Consultations can take place at our Dumont office, or at a more convenient location of family choice.
Northern Valley Adult Day Health Center
Vantage's Northern Valley Adult Day Health Center allows men and women over the age of 55 to continue functioning independently in their community in the therapeutic setting provided by the day health center. Their needs for these services are based on a medical diagnosis, which may include: a physical disability, memory impairment, isolation, loneliness, and a difficulty performing daily activities.
Services
- Medication Management
- Arts & Crafts
- Dancing & Exercise
- Discussion Groups/Current Events
- Music Appreciation & Sing-a-Long
- Field Trips & Parties
- Guest Speakers & Much More
Benefits
- Higher self-esteem
- Lessening of Depression
- Old Skills Return
- Respite for caregivers
Support Group
Sandwich Generation Group: For middle aged parents who are also the children of elderly parents and other caregivers to the elderly. This group meets monthly.
Referrals to this program can be made directly by calling 201-384-7734. The Program is located at:
2 Park Avenue
Dumont, NJ 07628
Touchstone Hall
Touchstone Hall is a 50-bed adolescent residential treatment facility serving chemically dependent males ages 13 - 17 years of age. The program integrates behavioral modification and 12-step philosophy. The program offers group and individual counseling in addition to, psycho-educational groups/lectures. We place a strong emphasis on family education and recovery. The length of treatment is determined by the individuals clinical needs. Each individual enters treatment on the orientation phase and progresses through the 1st, 2nd and 3rd phase of treatment as determined by the treatment team. Individuals are subject to a comprehensive evaluation to determine their needs prior to admission. Further assessment takes place once admitted. the program treats adolescents with primary substance abuse challenges and accepts those with an additional mental health diagnosis on a case-by-case basis. We provide intensive relapse prevention training, anger management, workshops, self esteem building and work diligently on developing community re-entry skills. All educational services are provided by a contract with the Bergen County Special Services School District on site.
Referrals to this program can be made directly by calling 201-784-6490. The Program is located at:
35-D Piermont Road
Rockleigh, NJ 07647
Residential Services
Vantage Health System owns and operates three transitional, one long term and two permanent supported housing residences that provide services to fifty-one clients with severe and persistent mental illness. The homes are located in Ridgefield Park, Teaneck, Bergenfield, Closter and Cresskill. In addition, VHS provides an Outreach Service to another 53 clients who reside in the community in independent apartments. Outreach Services assist clients with obtaining rental assistance, apartment search and set up, Personal Care Services, and links to appropriate VHS and/or community services. Residential staff are trained as Personal Care Assistants to assist clients in learning and maintaining daily living skills.
Community Education and Consultation
Vantage Health System makes available its years of expertise to corporations and community groups. VHS, utilizing it's experienced staff, can design a program or presentation for your organization. We have specialists in a wide range of areas and issues. Please call for more information.
For more information on this service please call David Griffith at (201) 567-0500 Ext. 3259.
Work Place Services
Leading corporations throughout the United States rely on employee assistance programs to keep their business healthy. Our range of affordable early intervention and prevention services are custom-designed to achieve management goals.
Work Place Services comprises the following: assessments and evaluations; short-term interventions; time-limited treatment plans and counseling for problems such as depression and marital difficulties. We can also create specialized programs, including management training to identify job performance problems; needs assessments to address work place issues; and crisis intervention in the event of a traumatic incident on the job.
For more information on this service please call David Griffith at (201) 567-0500 Ext. 3259.
Off Site Community & School Based Programs
Vantage Health System offers a comprehensive set of programming for community groups and local schools systems. Currently VHS has services being offered in the Bergenfield School System.
Support Groups
VHS has long history of offering support groups to our community. We currently have support groups in operation in a wide range of areas. These offering are added to on a regular basis, please call (201) 567-0059 for more information.
Sandwich Generation Group
For middle-aged parents who are also the children of elderly parents and other caregivers to the elderly. This group meets monthly at Vantage Health System 2 Park Avenue, Dumont, NJ 07628. For more information on this program call Nancy Bortinger at 201-384-7734.
Survivors After Suicide
This support groups is for those who have experienced the loss of loved one through suicide. The group will reduce one's feelings of isolation and shame. Within the group, survivors will learn that the outstretched hand, the emotional sharing, the understanding compassion of members, will help to ease the stresses which suicide places on survivors. The group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at Vantage Health System 2 Park Avenue, Dumont, NJ 07628. For more information please contact Michele Weinberg at 201-818-7133, or MaryAnn Becker at 973-248-1708.
Family Support Group
This group is for those family members who have been touched by the effects of mental illness. This group offers support, education, and professional advise for those who have mental illness on their families. The group meets on a monthly basis at Vantage Health System 2 Park Avenue, Dumont, NJ 07628For more information on this program call Christine Lidestri at (201) 385-4400 Ext. 3036.
Volunteer Opportunities
Vantage Health System offers volunteer opportunities for those from the community who wish to share their skills with us. Individuals interested in joining our Board of Trustees are welcome to contact Vicki Sidrow at 201-385-4400 x 3058.
L.E.A.P
The Life Enrichment and Achievement Program (L.E.A.P) is a day treatment program for adults who are diagnosed with both a psychiatric disorder and a developmental disability, along with loss of impulse control. L.E.A.P. provides an individualized program for each client, including daily individual counseling sessions, group therapy, and activity groups to increase socialization skills. L.E.A.P. staff working in a 1 to 2 staff client ratio, also collaborates with clients' residential staff and families to provide consistent treatment.
The program's goals include assisting each client in reaching his or her full potential;
- Through maximizing clients' strengths
- Facilitating peer support
- Educating clients about the management of their illness to prevent relapse and re-hospitalization
- Increasing independent living skills
- Encouraging clients to take an active role in formulating their own goals and participating in their own treatment planning.
All referrals for this program must be made through the Division of Developmental Disabilities.
