The Melbourne Clinic - Professorial Unit
Introduction
The Professorial Unit of The Melbourne Clinic, a private psychiatric hospital, is an academic unit of The University of Melbourne, Department of Psychiatry. The unit was established in February 1995 and the Healthscope Chair of Psychiatry instigated in 2000. The Director of the Unit since its inception and inaugural Chair is Prof Isaac Schweitzer. The Unit is a 20 bed inpatient Mood Disorders Unit. The specific aims of the unit are:
- To provide excellence in patient care and treatment
- To undertake research activity in the management and treatment related to mood disorders
- To provide ongoing staff education
- To provide a teaching role to students (medical, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy)
- To provide a safe and caring environment which promotes the individual's wellbeing
To this end the Professorial Unit performs three major roles: Research, Teaching and Clinical.
About The Melbourne Clinic
The Melbourne Clinic is a private psychiatric hospital situated at 130 Church Street, Richmond. The Clinic is the largest centre of private psychiatric care in Australia, with 170 psychiatrists accredited to use the services. The facility has 97 beds servicing 7 inpatient programmes. In addition, The Clinic provides day and evening programmes.
Care is provided for patients suffering from a wide variety of psychiatric disorders in either the General Programme or specialist programmes. The specialist programmes, other than the Professorial Unit, include Anorexia Nervosa, Anxiety Disorders, Mother and Baby, and Elderly. Also an Intensive Care programme is provided to support patients requiring close observation and a high degree of nursing care. There are also several Day Programs, including Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders, Mother-Baby, and Elderly. An Outreach Service is also available.
Research
- Electroconvulsive Therapy, Efficacy and Cognitive and Memory Effects
- Psychopharmacological studies in the treatment of anxiety disorders, the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression
- Personality assessment and the treatment of depression. Late-life depression and dementia - neuroimaging studies
- Isotretinonin, Acne and Depression
Teaching
The Unit and The Melbourne Clinic provides training for:
- Psychiatry Registrars, Medical Students: Austin Repatriation Medical Centre, St Vincent's, Royal Melbourne Hospital
- Psychology Students, Nursing Students
- Postgraduate students both PhD and Masters students
- A weekly post-graduate seminar is held at the Clinic, covering a wide range of areas of interest and both local, interstate and overseas speakers
Clinical Services
- Mood disorders - unipolar and bipolar
- Anxiety disorders eg OCD
- Diagnostic and/or management problems
- Treatment and/or consultative
- Panic Disorder and Social Phobia Disorder Day Programs
- Private health insurance is recommended
Staff
- Professor Issac Schweitzer, Director
- Researcher
- Administrative Assistant
Location & Contact Details
The Melbourne Clinic - The Professorial Unit
130 Church Street
Richmond, Vic 3121
T: +61 3 9420 9350
F: +61 3 9428 5990
E: schweitz@ unimelb.edu.au