Safe Haven Psychiatric Clinic

The Safe Haven Psychiatry Clinic started in August, 1996, by UW medical students under the guidance of Dr. Ron Diamond.  The clinic operates in the Safe Haven shelter every other Wednesday evening.  Patients treated are individuals with mental illnesses either from the community or from the Safe Haven shelter. Individuals from the Grace/Porchlight and Salvation Army shelters as well as patients referred from other MEDiC Clinics may be seen.

The Safe Haven shelter, where the clinic operates, opened in July 1995 and is managed by Porchlight, Inc.  This shelter is a 14-bed eastside home serving homeless men and women who have severe and persistent mental illnesses.  Typical complaints encountered include Schizophrenia, Depression, Bipolar Disorder (I and II), Alcohol/Drug Addiction, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Anxiety disorders. Safe Haven accepts referrals in several ways, including from other overnight shelters, Dane County Crisis Center, hospitals, and the Mendota Mental Health Center.