Galynker Center for Suicide Prevention & Treatment

The Galynker Family Center for Suicide Prevention was born from a deeply personal and professional commitment to preventing suicide. In 1993, Dr. Igor Galynker experienced the devastating loss of a patient, which underscored the limitations of traditional suicide risk assessments. This tragedy inspired him to develop new frameworks for understanding and addressing suicide risk, leading to the creation of the Narrative Crisis Model (NCM) and the Mount Sinai Suicide Prevention Research Lab.

The Family Center for Suicide Prevention, which uses the NCM framework to stage suicidal mental state, monitor it over time, and provide stage-specific targeted treatment, aims to provide a much-needed resource to those in crisis without depending on patients to disclose their suicidal thoughts accurately.

While each plan is created for the patient and their unique circumstance, they typically include stage-specific medication management, psychotherapeutic interventions, family psychoeducation and lifestyle adjustments. With additional services being provided as necessary such as: Family therapy, Couples Therapy, Treatment Partner support, and Psychoeducation.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among ages 15–24, with the teen suicide rate at its highest recorded level. If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts, it's always best to draw out your concerns with someone professional to help you.

At Gaylnker we provide one-on-one meetings that are safe and a confidential space for individuals to openly discuss their feelings, struggles, and mental health concerns. These sessions aim to offer support, coping strategies, and resources to help reduce the risk of self-harm and promote well-being.

The Suicide Prevention Center team emerged from the staff of its sister clinic, the Galynker Center for Bipolar Disorder. A few clinicians from the center have come together to create this unique and much-needed service in addition to their work at The Family Center for Bipolar Disorder.

At Galynker Center for Suicide Prevention & Treatment we use unique structured questionnaires to stage suicidal mental states according to NCM and to guide treatment decisions.

The FIT model is a unique approach designed to maximize the support that families can provide to a person in a suicidal crisis. At the heart of FIT is open communication about symptoms, medication, and treatment while maintaining strict confidentiality on personal matters unrelated to psychiatric symptoms and treatment planning.

The NCM framework outlines the gradual progression of a pathological mental process culminating in the acute suicidal state of mind, termed Suicide Crisis Syndrome (SCS). To ensure their safety, all patients undergo NCM screening and staging. This evidence-based framework forms a cornerstone of the Suicide Prevention Center, helping clinicians design personalized treatment plans that may include medication, psychotherapy, and family support.

Today, these innovations form the foundation of our center’s approach to providing care that is both compassionate and effective, helping the patient and their family attain a mental and emotional state where suicide is unthinkable.