The Rusk Institute Psychology Department was founded in 1950 as an integral part of Dr. Howard Rusk s model of comprehensive, interdisciplinary rehabilitation. Since 1960, the Psychology Department has engaged in a pioneering series of National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute and Department of Education-supported clinical research projects concerned with treatment of brain injured persons and those with cancer and have applied the results of that research to the care of our outpatients. The current Outpatient Rehabilitation Psychology Service is the largest of its kind on the East coast. The staff is comprised of 23 licensed Ph.D. psychologists and psychology trainees who provide evaluations and individual and group treatment to over 400 outpatients with neurological and medical conditions each year. Our patients range in age from 3 months to 95 years old. Our staff is multilingual, speaking and offering services in Spanish, Mandarin, Greek, Russian, Hebrew, Yiddish and Arabic.
Adult Services
Pediatric Services
Theraputic Services
The Adult Psychology Service (APS) offers outpatient evaluations and treatment to two adult populations.
Neurorehabilitation services are offered to outpatients with acquired brain injury whose diagnoses include traumatic brain injury, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage/aneurism, epilepsy, brain tumor, anoxia, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson s disease.
Medical rehabilitation psychology services are provided for persons with various conditions including spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, vestibular disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancer, Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and lymphedema. Chronic pain syndromes, such as complex regional pain syndrome (also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy), fibromyalgia and chronic neck and back pain are also treated. In addition to consultation and collaboration with the interdisciplinary Rusk outpatient rehabilitation team, APS services include psychological and neuropsychological assessment and individual and group cognitive, psychological and family treatment.
Assessment Upon entry to the APS program, evaluations are performed to answer referral questions, to determine rehabilitation needs and to guide the direction of treatment. Later, they are performed to measure treatment progress and to help decide whether to continue or discontinue treatment, to refer to other facilities or to refer to the Rusk Vocational Department.
Cognitive Remediation Individual treatment is provided for 1-2 hours/ week and is tailored towards the goals of patients with brain injury. Cognitive remediation uses various techniques and modalities to improve awareness, self-monitoring, compensation, skill development and generalization of skills to activities in daily life. Patients may also be assigned to one or several groups each week Groups are conducted by one or two staff members for 3-8 patients and are matched for skill level to address one or more of the following:
- Basic skills (awareness, note taking, attention)
- Specific skills (visual scanning, critical reasoning)
- Emotional/behavioral management and stress reduction.
Psychosocial Treatment Individual psychotherapy is included in services once or twice weekly. This has proven to be valuable for neurorehabilitation patients in facilitating awareness, assisting in adjustment to the changes caused by disability and easing integration into the community. The treatment is modified to accommodate the cognitive changes associated with brain injury. For medical rehabilitation patients, insight-oriented and supportive psychotherapy is designed to help patients adjust to their medical condition or disability and to maximize emotional, social and vocational functioning. Several types of psychosocial groups are offered to address interpersonal and community re-entry issues. Again, groups are tailored for different levels of cognitive ability, age and language requirements. Each group meets for one hour and is comprised of 3-10 patients with one or two staff persons.
Family Interventions Individual, couples and family therapy is available when requested by patients or family members. In addition, a member of the APS staff conducts a once-weekly multifamily group with a staff member from the Social Service Department.
Pediatric Psychology Service
The Pediatric Psychology Service offers outpatient evaluations and treatment to children and adolescents with a broad range of diagnoses including: attention deficit disorders, learning disabilities, brain & spinal cord tumors, cerebral palsy, neuromuscular/orthopedic conditions, spinal cord injuries and diseases, chronic illnesses, spina bifida, traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular accidents, amputation, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Therapeutic Services
Neuropsychological Assessment the Pediatric Psychology Service provides a comprehensive assessment of various components of neuropsychological functioning, including: cognitive; academic; visual-motor and perceptual skills; attention and concentration; memory; problem solving; and emotional and behavioral modulation. Consistent with the aim of rehabilitation, the focus is on the individual’s strengths. Evaluation results are discussed with the family and a treatment program is planned.
Psychotherapy is directed to issues related to learning or attentional difficulties, physical challenges or experiences related to trauma and loss. The treatment approaches include:
- Individual therapy; short or longterm
- Play therapy
- Behavior Therapy
- EEG Biofeedback
- Group psychotherapy; social skills groups
Family Intervention is an integral part of the treatment process. Services we provide include:
- Parent and sibling counseling
- Psycho-education
- Behavior management techniques
Cognitive Remediation Through a long history of pioneering research and clinical work in the field of neurorehabilitation, the Psychology Service specializes in assisting people with learning difficulties, and/or neurological injury. Both individual and group treatment is available.
Educational Prescriptions Our staff consults with schools to assist with their understanding of the child s needs, as well as advocates for the most appropriate placement.
Referral Information: Â All patients, adult and pediatric, are referred by an MD. For you and your physician's convenience, a pre-made referral form for Neuropsychology / Rehabilitation Psychology treatment can be obtained here.
