Dept. of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities

View of current MMHI facility.
Commissioner Virginia Trotter Betts cuts the ribbon to open the new facility, surrounded by staff and dignitaries from Memphis, Shelby County and the State of Tennessee.

Memphis Mental Health Institute is one of five state psychiatric hospitals in Tennessee and serves the Memphis community. MMHI admits almost exclusively patients who cannot be admitted to area private hospitals. The patients often have chronic mental illnesses and many have histories of multiple hospitalizations. Most of the patients are referred on an involuntary basis because of an acute episode, which poses a risk of danger to themselves or others. Some are referred from the court for a pre-trial evaluation.

No denial in the delivery of patient care or services shall occur with any patient admitted to Memphis Mental Health Institute due to his or her ability or inability to pay for treatment received at this hospital. Medicare and TennCare service recipients will be shown the same quality of care rendered as service recipients with third-party reimbursement resources.

The facility provides individualized treatment planning along with a psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) program where service recipients receive care based on their specific needs and a program to assist them in acquiring new skills for a better transition back to the community.

Individualized patient care is provided by a myriad of professionals. Treatment teams consist of a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a registered nurse, a social worker, a recreational therapist, a psychiatric technician, and an internist and/or a family nurse practitioner. Psychiatric clinical nurse specialists are also included in the mix. Each member of the treatment team is involved in the psychosocial rehabilitation of the patients. The PSR program is designed to meet the needs of patients through group and individual sessions.

MMHI's relationship and affiliation with UT Health Sciences Center in Memphis has continued to grow over the years. Two of MMHI's attending Psychiatrists are on faculty at UT Memphis in the Department of Psychiatry and are directly involved in the training and clinical practice of psychiatry residents and medical students. This relationship provides a unique and stimulating environment of learning, enhancing professional and academic growth.

MMHI has many other community partnerships that have thrived over the years. Some of these partnerships, in addition to The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, include The Regional Medical Center (The Med), The Memphis Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and various colleges and universities that provide students for clinical rotations in mental health. MMHI is conveniently located in the heart of the Medical District. The facility is only minutes from Beale Street, Overton Park Zoo, Sun Studio and other places of interest.

Public Notice: Any concerns regarding patient care and safety at Memphis Mental Health Institute should first be directed to the Chief Executive Officer at (901)-577-1800. If concerns cannot be resolved through the MMHI management, please contact the TDMHDD by either calling 1-800-560-5767 or by e-mailing oca.mhdd@state.tn.us. If concerns are not adequately resolved by either the MMHI management or TDMHDD, the public may contact the Joint Commission to report any concerns or register complaints by calling 1-800-994-6610, emailing complaint@jcaho.org, or accessing the Joint Commission's web site at www.jointcommission.org/GeneralPublic/Complaint/default.htm

An Accredited Psychiatric Facility

Serving Shelby County TDMHDD Planning Region VII

Serving Shelby County
TDMHDD Planning Region VII