Ava Albrecht, M.D.

This place of peace is the Adolescent Inpatient unit of Silver Hill Hospital. It’s a place where adolescents struggling with episodes of depression, anxiety and other issues arrive in acute distress, but where most can leave in a week to return to home, school and community, says unit Service Chief Ava Albrecht, M.D.

“From the adolescents’ perspective,” Dr. Albrecht observes, “I know that this unit is a calm, compassionate and non-judgmental environment with a great team, where kids can feel very safe. They feel comfortable very quickly.”

Dr. Albrecht and her team also work with parents directly “to put the behaviors of their children into context, to help them understand how best to be supportive of their children and their treatment, and to identify best options for care, both medication-wise and therapeutically.”

“When I first sit with parents and their children,” Dr. Albrecht says, “I tell them that the episode that has led to a stay at Silver Hill is also a good opportunity to start working on communications, dialogue and understanding.”