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      AdmissionRefer A Patient

      When the Outpatient Frame Is No Longer Enough

      Riggs works with adults whose psychiatric difficulties persist despite serious prior treatment—patients who remain caught in recurrent crises, disabling symptoms, destructive relationships, or repeated patterns that insight alone has not changed.

      The question is not whether outpatient treatment has failed. Often it has carried the patient as far as the available frame allows. A residential setting can make more of the patient's life available for observation, reflection, and treatment engagement.

      Consider Riggs When

      • Symptoms persist despite serious prior treatment
      • Recurrent crises interrupt outpatient work
      • A new crisis destabilizes someone previously doing well
      • Diagnosis remains unclear or incomplete
      • Suicidality or self-destructive action repeats
      • The patient has some insight but cannot use it to change
      • Family or relational patterns need to be understood in vivo
      • A more comprehensive formulation would help determine next treatment
      Patients referred to Riggs often struggle with chronic depression, suicidality, trauma, dissociation, psychosis, personality disorders, mood instability, or longstanding relational and behavioral patterns that have not shifted through outpatient treatment alone. Many have had extensive prior psychotherapy, psychiatric hospitalization, or residential treatment.
      View our Guide for Referrers Brochure or download it below:
      Guide for Referrers
      Treatment at Austen Riggs.
      Treatment at Austen Riggs.

      Online Information Series for Referring Clinicians

      These sessions are designed specifically for clinicians and referral partners who want a clearer picture of what Austen Riggs offers, which patients tend to be the best fit, and how the admissions and evaluation process works.

      Upcoming Information Sessions

      A Comprehensive Residential Evaluation and Treatment Process

      During the six-week evaluation and treatment, the patient is seen across several linked settings: intensive individual psychotherapy, therapeutic community life, activities outside the patient role, psychological testing, family meetings when indicated, and daily clinical observation.
      These perspectives are brought together in a formal case conference and formulation focused on understanding what has been driving the difficulty—and what treatment may be needed next.

      Collaboration with Referring Clinicians

      With the patient's authorization, the referring clinician is invited to participate in the case conference—in person or via Zoom.
      Some patients return to outpatient treatment with a clearer formulation and plan. Others continue at Riggs or are referred to a more appropriate setting. Not all patients return to their referring clinician—this depends on the patient's wishes and what the treatment recommends.

      Contraindications

      • Need for locked or highly structured containment
      • Active or primary substance use disorder or primary eating disorder
      • External behavioral management as the primary requirement
      A collaborative process with the Admissions team.
      A collaborative process with the Admissions team.

      Refer a Patient

      The referral process begins with a collegial conversation, without obligation. For clinicians referring from a hospital or inpatient setting, the admissions team coordinates directly with the discharging team.

      Contact Admissions

      Frequently Asked Questions

      When should a therapist consider residential psychiatric treatment?

      Riggs may be appropriate when outpatient psychotherapy alone is no longer sufficient to contain recurrent crises, clarify diagnosis, or help a patient translate insight into meaningful change.

      Does Riggs work collaboratively with outpatient clinicians?

      Yes. With the patient's authorization, referring clinicians are invited to participate in the formulation process and case conference.

      Do patients return to their outpatient therapist after treatment?

      Some do and some do not. Recommendations depend on the patient's needs, preferences, and treatment course.

      What types of patients are referred to Riggs?

      Riggs treats adults with complex psychiatric and relational difficulties, including chronic depression, suicidality, trauma, dissociation, psychosis, personality disorders, and treatment-resistant patterns that persist despite serious prior care.

      Is Riggs a locked hospital?

      No. Riggs is an open, voluntary residential treatment program organized around intensive psychotherapy, therapeutic community life, and patient responsibility.

      A First Call is Not a Commitment

      You do not need to know whether Riggs is the right answer before you call. The first step is a conversation about what has been happening, what has already been tried, and whether this setting may be useful now. Our Admissions team is available Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Eastern).

      Contact Admissions
      800.517.4447
      Continuing Education Events and Courses

      Conferences

      Psychosis Care and Connection 2026: A Retreat on Humanistic Approaches

      June 25, 2026

      A roundtable retreat with the aim of fostering dialogue, sharing approaches to working with psychosis, and nurturing community.

      Special Events

      Online Information Series for Prospective Patients & Families

      July 1, 2026

      Join us for a free, live online information session about the Austen Riggs Center—our open therapeutic community, our approach to intensive psychiatric treatment, and how the admissions process works.

      Educational Events

      Authenticity: An Ethical Core for Clinical Practice

      July 10, 2026

      Dr. Marilyn Charles explores the ethical foundations of mental health practice, emphasizing authenticity, integrity, and respect for difference in an increasingly AI-driven world. Using clinical illustrations, it highlights the importance of reflective, human-centered care grounded in the principle of doing no harm.

      25 Main Street, PO Box 962 Stockbridge, MA 01262
      Admission Calls: 800.517.4447
      All Other Calls: 413.298.5511
      info@austenriggs.net
      25 Main Street, PO Box 962 Stockbridge, MA 01262
      Admission Calls: 800.517.4447
      All Other Calls: 413.298.5511
      info@austenriggs.net

      © 2026 The Austen Riggs Center

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