Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in the Department of Psychiatry offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care that may include psychotherapy, drug therapy, cognitive therapy, group therapy and other treatments. Our experts coordinate various inpatient and outpatient programs to help patients through all stages of illness and recovery. Our experts have years of experience treating patients with a variety of mental health problems.

The Department of Psychiatry has five inpatient units. These include two intensive adult units, a dedicated child and adolescent psychiatry unit, and a unit reserved for treating patients with chemical dependency problems. A specialized unit for older adults is located within the Johnston R. Bowman Health Center.

Departmental services include:

• Ambulatory psychiatric services for adults and children
• Comprehensive behavioral health services for people with all forms of addictions and substance abuse problems
• A cognitive therapy program
• Comprehensive care for patients with all forms of depression
• Care for children and adolescents with mental illness
• Assessment and treatment of elderly patients with mental illness
• Consultation and "second opinion" services regarding diagnoses and treatment options
• Psychiatric home care

William Scheftner, MD, is chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry. Several members of the department have been listed among Chicago’s top doctors by Castle Connolly Ltd., a well-respected source of information about U.S. health care providers and institutions. The department is staffed by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who are known throughout Chicago and across the nation for their efforts to treat and study unipolar depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, alcohol and drug addiction, and many other forms of psychiatric illness. For a list of physicians at Rush specializing in psychiatry and related areas, see the  “Find a Doctor” link at left.