Patients find help from Dr. Roberto Norniella & staff at Monroe’s Ridgeview Institute
BY BETH SLAUGHTER SEXTON STAFF CORRESPONDENT
W
hether it’s help surviving a world-wide pandemic or navigating the dayto-day struggles of living, keeping a check on one’s mental health can be as important as life or death. Since 1976, more than 90,000 people have turned to Ridgeview Institute during crisis, despair and in search of hope. From its first campus in Smyrna and now with a second campus in Monroe, Ridgeview Institute offers a range of services for youth, young adults, adults, senior adults and professionals in need of behavioral health and/or addiction intervention. As Dr. Roberto Norniella, M.D. explains, psychiatrists are primary care doctors for the mind. As chief mental health officer and medical director for the hospital, Norniella and other Ridgeview doctors and staff focus on treating the overall mental well-being of patients. They diagnose and treat numerous types of mental illness, such as depression, eating disorders, bipolar disorder or anxiety disorders, to name a few. Treatments may range from medication management plans to different forms of therapy, all designed to help patients and families acquire the courage and skills to begin a new life. Through its Women’s Connection, Ridgeview has designed a behavioral health program to assist women in overcoming problems stemming from trauma, depression, anxiety, mood disorders and substance abuse. Located at 709 Breedlove Drive in Monroe, Ridgeview Institute is an 88-bed mental health acute psychiatric hospital. “Right now, it’s really interesting,” Norniella said. “Some areas have decreased in demand, like the adolescent unit where we usually have 20-26 adolescent patients. We’re now running 8-10. Schools are closed and kids are home. There has been a decrease in the adolescent (unit), however demand for adult beds has increased significantly with depression, people losing their jobs and anxiety because of the
pandemic...or an increase in alcohol and drug abuse.”
Some patients are hospitalized at Ridgeview while others come and go for outpatient therapy programs. The adolescent unit is usually busy this time of year with kids facing such issues as bullying, stress of academic pressure, fighting at school and truancy, as well as drug use in school and suicide concerns, the doctor said. He added that being home all the time due to schools being closed takes away certain components and while Ridgeview is still helping a number of young people, the numbers for that unit are considerably less right now. Norniella is the father of two daughters, one of whom is an ICU nurse in Alabama working on the front lines of the virus pandemic and his younger daughter is a psychology student at Georgia State University. Born in Puerto Rico, Norniella graduated from the University of Massachusetts followed by medical school and an internship at Central University of The Caribbean School of Medicine. He did a fellowship at Yale University and is board certified in psychiatry. He had a practice in Alabama before moving to Georgia and is in now in his 26th year in the medical field. He worked at both Ridgeview Institute and was medical director of Lawrenceville’s SummitRidge before being named medical director of Ridgeview. Norniella also has a medical office in Watkinsville. While his work is demanding, the doctor makes time to relax by playing golf, writing, and traveling, especially going back to Puerto Rico to visit friends. Norniella’s mental health advice to others is simple. “In general, one of the most important things is not get overwhelmed with work,” he said. “Get some rest. Sleep is super important not only for mental, but physical health. Eat a balanced diet. Avoid excess alcohol and stay away from drugs.” For more information, visit Ridgeview’s website at https://ridgeviewinstitute.com/monroe.
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