Call Us848-208-26361075 Stephenson Ave. Suite C Oceanport, NJ 07757Email Ushello.intake@unityplacemc.com


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • What can I expect on my first day?
  • Do you have a psychiatrist on staff?
  • My medication requires my blood work to be monitored – can you do that?
  • What kind of groups do you offer?
  • What are my funding options?
  • What insurances do you accept?
  • What is Group Counseling?
  • What is Partial Care?
  • What types of mental health professionals are at Unity Place?
  • What are the services offered at Unity Place?
  • What makes Unity Place unique?
What can I expect on my first day?
  • You will be picked up by one of our transportation vehicles and brought to our program.
  • You will be greeted by our receptionist and shown where to have breakfast and coffee.
  • At around 9 AM, you will meet the intake team to go over the basic information such as:
    • -Who is your primary care physician?
    • -What pharmacy do you use?
    • -What is your mental health diagnosis or the last time you used an illegal substance?
    • -Do you report to any outside agencies?
  • All of that information will be encoded into the computer and paperwork will be typed up, signed, and explained by the intake coordinator.
  • Following all the paperwork, you will be brought to meet either the Director, Ms Lorraine Laura, or the Assistant Director, Donna Francese. The will sit with you and discuss, asking clinically based questions to get more history and understanding so that we can treat you better at our facility.
  • Once completed, they will call up a client who will give you a tour of the facility, then introduce you to your new case manager, before bringing you to your group tract room.
  • Congratulations, and welcome! You have completed your intake at Unity!
Do you have a psychiatrist on staff?

Unity Place is proud to have Dr Norbert Binkowski on staff. We consider him one of the best in his field, having been a psychiatrist for 40+ years. He currently sees clients at our facility two days a week. New clients will be seen by Dr Binkowski within the first two weeks of admittance to the program.  

My medication requires my blood work to be monitored – can you do that?

Yes. We work with an outside lab called TrueTox* that has a phlebotomist on staff. We are also able to administer and keep track of clients who are on injectable medication.

What kind of groups do you offer?

We offer a wider range of psych-education groups from motivation/self-esteem, emotions regulations, coping and stress management to CBT and relapse prevention. We also have groups for creative expression, team building, brain workout, and journaling.

As well, Unity Place offers groups that are specific to addiction and recovery, groups that are specific to mental health, and groups that are specific to the co-occurring diagnosis, which address both mental health and substance abuse. Clients can also sign up for specialty groups like IMR (illness management & recovery) grief and loss, Trauma Recovery, and Pre-Voc.

What are my funding options?
  • Medicaid
  • Self-Pay
  • WFNJ – SAI / BHI
  • MAP-SPB
What insurances do you accept?

    MLTSS

  • Horizon Blue Cross
  • AmeriGroup
  • Wellcare
  • Optum/United Healthcare
  • Aetna

 Commerial (insurances mostly out-of-network; please inquire)

  • Horizon Blue Cross
  • Magellan
What is Group Counseling?

Group counseling provides treatment in a format with participants with related problems. People in group counseling improve not only from the interventions of the Group Facilitator, but also from observing others in the group and receiving feedback from group members.

Unlike individual therapy sessions, group counseling offers participants the opportunity to interact with others with similar issues in a safe, supportive environment. Group counseling can provide  you with feedback from other people and help you realize that  you’re not alone. Members are  encouraged to turn to each other for support, feedback and connection, instead of getting all of that from the Group Facilitator.

Group counseling can  help you relate to others (and yourself) in healthier ways. In addition to strengthening your relationships skills and  reducing isolation , group therapy is especially valuable for  people dealing with depression,  social anxiety and life transitions.

What is Partial Care?

It is an intensive, nonresidential, therapeutic treatment program.  Our program provides clinical treatment services in a stable, trusting environment.

Our Partial Care system provides clients with a highly structured intensive day treatment program. The treatment includes group counseling and support, therapeutic activities to address daily living (ADL) skills, recreation and stabilization needs; psychiatric assessment and medication management; case coordination; and referral, advocacy, and linkage to other services.

What types of mental health professionals are at Unity Place?

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor and the only professional that specializes in mental health care and can prescribe medications. (Family doctors often prescribe medications for mental health concerns, but do not have specialized training or background in treatment mental disorders.) Most psychiatrists focus on prescribing the appropriate medication that’s going to work best for that individual and their concerns; a few also do psychotherapy.

Clinical Social Workers

Typically a clinical social worker will have completed a Master’s degree in social work (MSW) and carry the LCSW designation if they are doing psychotherapy (Licensed Counselor of Social Work). Most programs require the professional to go through thousands of hours of direct clinical experience, and the program focuses on teaching principles of psychotherapy and social work.

​Licensed Professional Counselor

The requirements for this designation, which can be in addition to the professional’s educational degrees, vary from state to state. Most are Master’s level professionals who have had thousands of hours of direct clinical experience.

There are a wealth of other professional designations and initials that follow professionals’ names. Most of these designate a specialty certification or the like, not an educational degree.

The key to choosing which one of these professionals is right for you is to determine what kinds of things are important to you and finding a professional that seems to fit with your needs and personality. Often times, finding the right therapist or mental health professional takes more than one try. You may need to “try on” a few professionals before finding one that feels right to you. Don’t be afraid to do this, as it is your well-being and treatment you’re investing in.

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)

Licensed by the state, this designation requires a national certification and hundreds of hours in substance abuse/dependence education, in order to meet global competency standards.

Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC)

​A LCADC requires a Master’s or Doctoral Degree in any field of social science from a reputable accredited University or College, accomplishment in oral and written Board-prescribed examinations, along with thousands of hours of post-graduate counseling involving alcohol and substance abuse patients.

What are the services offered at Unity Place?
  1. Psychiatrist on staff
  2. Medication Education
  3. Phlebotomist on staff
  4. Urine and drug screening provided by TrueTox
  5. Housing assistance
  6. DVR referrals
  7. Social Security program referrals
  8. Specialized groups
  9. Assistance with Medicaid
  10. Assistance with GA and Food Stamps
  11. Court advocacy including Drug Court
  12. Specialized events, holiday parties, and birthday celebrations 
  13. Partnership with Monmouth County Food Pantry Truck “Fulfill”
  14. Transportation provided
  15. Individual case management and Group Counseling
  16. Social and Independent Life Skills Training
  17. Creative activities
  18. Prevocational services
  19. Assistance with Monmouth County ID
  20. Assistance with Monmouth County Food Bank
What makes Unity Place unique?

Unity offers a multiple variety of services, from partial care to OP and everything in-between. The staff undergo a rigorous vetting process by the director and assistant director to ensure they fit within the team. 

We have a token economy store that the clients help to run. It is an incentive program put in place so clients can earn tokens in order to go into the Unity Store one day a week. This allows them to “purchase” items ranging from clothing, food, and hygiene products.

We also have the Monmouth County food truck “fulfill” monthly. They park their truck in the lower lot, and all clients are welcome to take what they need.

We are proud to have a regular end of the month party that celebrates clients who have continued to show progress with their treatment, sobriety goals, and different goals they are working on with their counselor. There are raffles and a special dessert.

Once a year, the clients take part in helping to design their own games for the Unity Place carnival.

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At Unity, our goal is to provide a therapeutic environment where each client can learn how to successfully handle life’s challenges.

Contact Us

1075 Stephenson Ave.
Suite C
Oceanport, NJ 07757

hello.intake@unityplacemc.com

1-848-208-2636

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Copyright by Unity Place of Monmouth County 2018. All rights reserved.