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The power of the creative process as a vehicle for healing, communication, self-expression and personal growth is a time-honored tradition.
Art and psychology are often uniquely combined in the treatment of children and adults with psychiatric disorders, and for a local artist, the two recently came together to provide a powerful means to give visual shape to soothing murals for Monmouth Medical Center’s inpatient psychiatric units.
Bob Mataranglo, a video artist and muralist, recently donated his time and talent to create soothing waterscapes for the children’s inpatient psychiatric unit at Monmouth Medical Center.
The Lakewood-based artist, who created his first mural 10 years ago for Family Pharmacy in Long Branch’s West End, has teamed with Sipersteins’ owner Todd Katz, a Monmouth Medical Center board member, over the years for a host of colorful murals, including the one that adorns an exterior wall of Sipersteins’ Long Branch headquarters. Sipersteins donated the paint for the mural, as well as a subsequent mural Mr. Mataranglo agreed to paint upstairs on the adult inpatient psychiatry unit.
“To further healing, we look to incorporate holistic healing by addressing the physical environment on the mental, emotional, and physical states of our patients,” says Jorge Cagide, administrative director of Behavioral Health Services for Monmouth. “We are so thankful to Bob and Todd Katz and Sipersteins for their support of our patients.”
A retired corporate engineer, Mr. Mataranglo holds a master’s degree in engineering but returned to school to study art and filmmaking. He retired last June from teaching mural painting at Ocean County and Brookdale community colleges and film and editing at Kean University and Monmouth University.
Over the last 10 years, he has created hundreds of murals, including artwork created for non-profit agencies benefiting children with autism and local arts councils. Additionally, he has won awards for his animated films in seven countries.
Monmouth Medical Center's pediatric inpatient psychiatric unit is the only state-designated program in Monmouth and Ocean counties for children and adolescents with acute emotional, behavioral or psychiatric problems. The 19-bed unit provides care for children and adolescents age 5 to 17 residing in Monmouth and Ocean counties who have been screened for psychiatric admission through the hospital’s Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS).
The unit’s team of professionals includes a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, licensed social worker, psycho-pharmacologist, adjunctive therapist, education coordinator, mental health associates and a discharge planner. They treat children for a host of psychiatric conditions, including mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bi-polar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.
Their goal is to stabilize the patient within a short period of time and develop a discharge plan for a successful transition to community-based services.
“The CCIS caregivers should be applauded and honored for their work; it was inspiring for me to see them day after day,” Mataranglo said. “I don't know what the families of these children would do without this service. It was a great learning experience for me.”
For all children and adolescent psychiatric emergencies and referrals, contact PESS at 732-923-6999. For non-emergency, general information, contact the CCIS regional response coordinator at 732-923-6927.
March 25, 2011
Kathy Horan
Corporate Marketing and Public Relations
732-923-6632
khoran@barnabashealth.org
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