Belmont Behavioral Health – which celebrated its 70th anniversary in June 2007 – was born of the vision and compassion of its founders who were moved to provide quality mental health services at a time when services were limited. Building a private hospital and providing relatively low-cost treatments for short-term care with the goal of returning patients to productive lives was a dream that became a reality. The dream and the reality continue to mature and grow today.

• 1937, June, a charter is signed and a Board of Directors is organized.
• 1937, November, Adult Outpatient Department is established in downtown Philadelphia.
• 1938, January, 13-bed Horace Berk Memorial Hospital admits its first patient.
• 1940, Gift of building and more than four acres of land at Ford and Monument Roads expands hospital; charter amended to rename the institution the Philadelphia Psychiatric Hospital.
• 1941, a new, 60-bed facility opens on the new site.
• 1960, Research Department is housed in Wurzel Building.
• 1962, Irving Schwartz Institute for Children and Youth opens.
• 1972, Drug Abuse Treatment Program and satellite clinics established.
• 1975, Philadelphia Center for Human Development opens to serve Northeast Philadelphia.
• 1977, educational affiliation established with University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry.
• 1983, Philadelphia Psychiatric Center and Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia merge, beds increase to 147.
• 1991, Outpatient Care Center opens, specialty programs instituted.
• 1992, hospital renamed Belmont Behavioral Health.

Today, Belmont Behavioral Health is recognized for its individualized and compassionate approach to delivering progressive psychiatric services and quality care. Services include: inpatient and outpatient care; the Women’s Center; Women’s Inpatient Program; the Family Center; Eating Disorders Day Treatment Program; treatment for adolescents, adults and older adults for mental health or substance abuse; mental health treatment program for the hearing impaired; research on violence prevention and postvention, crisis intervention and resident education and training; and the Recovery Initiative.

An Integrated System of Mental Health Care for Older Adults

Belmont Behavioral Health treats Drug and Alcohol Addiction One day, one patient at a time

A Comprehensive and Individualized Approach to the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Belmont Behavioral Health’s Recovery Initiative A bridge from hopelessness to hope