Online IOP for College Students and Emerging Adults in MA & VT
Online Information Series for Referring Clinicians: Understanding the Austen Riggs Center Treatment Approach
Free online sessions for clinicians exploring Austen Riggs as a referral option.
Join our Director of Admissions and Director of Psychological Testing for a live, open Q&A on our treatment model, clinical fit criteria, and the referral process. Multiple dates available—registration required.
About These Sessions
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.
If you're working with someone whose treatment has plateaued, become cyclical, or hasn't held across multiple levels of care, this is a practical opportunity to explore whether a Riggs referral makes clinical sense.
You're welcome to bring case-informed questions in general terms. Our presenters will provide an overview of the model and open the floor for discussion.
Topics covered each session:
- The structure and philosophy of our open therapeutic community
- How our model differs from locked or highly structured programs
- The clinical presentations for which Riggs-level care is most indicated
- How we approach safety, responsibility, and relational treatment
- The admissions, evaluation, and consultation process for referring clinicians
- What length of stay and treatment trajectory looks like for patients at Riggs
- How we collaborate with referring providers
Upcoming Sessions
Sessions are scheduled from 5:00-5:50 p.m. (Eastern) on multiple dates throughout the year to accommodate clinicians' availability. Registration is required — select a date and register in advance to receive your Zoom link.
Session Details
Free to attend. No cost.
Registration required. Once dates are posted, register for the session that fits your schedule. A Zoom link will be sent to you upon registration.
All sessions take place from 5:00-5:50 p.m. (Eastern)
Not recorded. Sessions are live only, to support open clinical discussion.
Appropriate for: Clinicians, treating teams, case managers, and other referral partners seeking to understand the Riggs model and evaluate clinical fit.
Who Leads the Sessions
Samar Habl, MD — Director of Admissions and Associate Medical Director
Jeremy Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP — Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Psychological Testing
Dr. Habl and Dr. Ridenour are available to address clinical questions about treatment approach, appropriate referrals, and the admissions process — both during sessions and through direct consultation.
When Is Riggs Worth Considering?
Austen Riggs specializes in adults with complex, often longstanding psychiatric conditions. Referrals tend to be most appropriate when:
- Symptoms persist despite multiple prior treatments across levels of care
- Relational or personality dynamics complicate engagement in standard settings
- Structured or locked environments have not produced sustained improvement
- Treatment gains are not maintained after discharge
- The clinical picture requires longer-term, intensive, relationally-focused work
Consult with Our Admissions Team Directly
For confidential clinical consultation – Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Eastern) – outside of the group sessions:
Please do not include PHI in your initial email — that message is unencrypted. We will reply via our secure Hushmail account, after which all communication is encrypted end-to-end. Please do not send PHI to any other Austen Riggs email address.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Austen Riggs Center? The Austen Riggs Center is a longer-term open psychiatric residential treatment center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, specializing in intensive treatment for adults with complex, often treatment-resistant psychiatric conditions. Riggs operates as an open therapeutic community with a psychodynamic orientation, treating patients whose conditions have not resolved in shorter-term or more structured settings.
Who are these information sessions designed for? These sessions are designed for clinicians, treating teams, case managers, and other referral partners who want a clearer understanding of the Riggs treatment model, clinical fit criteria, and the referral and admissions process. They are particularly relevant for professionals working with patients whose treatment has plateaued, become cyclical, or hasn't held across multiple levels of care.
What is covered in each session? Each session includes an overview of the open therapeutic community model, a discussion of how Riggs differs from locked or highly structured programs, a review of the clinical presentations for which Riggs-level care is most indicated, and an explanation of the admissions and evaluation process for referring clinicians.
How do I register? Registration is required in advance. Select a date from the schedule above and follow the registration link to receive your Zoom link by email.
Is there a cost to attend? No. These sessions are free for all attendees.
Will the session be recorded? No. Sessions are live only, to support open clinical discussion.
Can I bring case-specific questions? You are welcome to bring case-informed questions framed in general terms. Sessions are not a confidential clinical setting, so we ask that identifying patient information not be shared. Our admissions team is available for confidential case consultation separately.
Do all sessions cover the same material? Yes. All dates cover the same content — you only need to attend one.
When is a Riggs referral most appropriate? Riggs tends to be most appropriate when a patient's symptoms persist despite multiple prior treatments across levels of care; when relational or personality dynamics complicate engagement in standard settings; when structured or locked environments have not produced or sustained improvement; or when the clinical picture requires longer-term, intensive, relationally-focused work.
How does Austen Riggs approach safety? Rather than relying on restriction or behavioral protocols alone, Riggs addresses safety through relational engagement and patient responsibility. The open therapeutic community model places genuine accountability with patients as part of the treatment itself.
Who presents the sessions? Sessions are led by Samar Habl, MD, Director of Admissions and Associate Medical Director, and Jeremy Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP, Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Psychological Testing. Both are available for direct clinical consultation outside of the group sessions.
How do I refer a patient or request a clinical consultation? Our admissions team welcomes confidential consultation with referring clinicians. Contact us at 800.517.4447 or admissions@austenriggs.hush.com. Please do not include PHI in your initial email, as that message is unencrypted. We will reply via our secure Hushmail account, after which all communication is encrypted end-to-end. Please do not send PHI to any other Austen Riggs email address.
What diagnoses or presentations does Riggs specialize in? Riggs specializes in adults with complex psychiatric conditions, including personality disorders, treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders, and presentations complicated by trauma, chronic relational difficulties, or significant comorbidity. Riggs is not an acute stabilization program and is best suited for patients who require sustained, intensive, individualized treatment over time.
How is Austen Riggs different from a standard residential or acute program? Riggs is an open therapeutic community, not a locked or highly structured facility. Treatment is psychodynamic and long-term, focused on the relational and developmental factors underlying chronic symptomatology — rather than symptom stabilization alone. Patients carry genuine responsibility in their own care, and the therapeutic community itself is a primary agent of change.