New York — Montefiore Einstein announced the opening of its new Sports Mental Health & Performance Institute, aimed at addressing the mental health needs of athletes at all levels. Dr. Jorge Aguilar, M.D., Ph.D., a renowned child, adolescent, and adult sports psychiatrist, has been appointed as the director of the institute. Dr. Aguilar brings extensive experience from his roles as team psychiatrist for New York City FC in Major League Soccer (MLS) and as a consultant to Major League Baseball (MLB) in mental health and performance.
A Vision for Athlete Mental Health
Dr. Aguilar’s career path has been driven by his robust educational background and his passion for sports psychiatry. After earning his MD and PhD at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NYC, he began his pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It was there that he discovered his true calling in psychiatry, leading him to complete his residency and fellowship at Montefiore. His interest in sports psychiatry and mental skills training was nurtured under the mentorship of Dr. Jonathan Fader, a licensed performance psychologist at SportStrata, where Dr. Aguilar still works part-time.
“I strongly believe in the importance of mental health services, as do athletes and coaches. It’s an important part of them being the best versions of themselves, yet the utilization rates are lower than what the epidemiological data says that they should be,” says Dr. Aguilar. The new institute aims to overcome barriers such as stigma, availability, and cost, making mental health services more accessible to athletes.
Comprehensive Services for Athletes
Currently, the institute is staffed solely by Dr. Aguilar, who supports athletes at all levels with treatments for performance anxiety, injury recovery, and general mental health concerns. Plans are underway to expand the team by hiring additional mental health practitioners, emphasizing the need for specialized services for athletes. Dr. Aguilar also intends to provide education for future psychiatrists and psychologists at the institute, thereby raising the standard of mental health care for athletes.
“We are about two weeks into the institute being open, and we are already providing services to professional athletes and high school athletes,” says Dr. Aguilar. Alongside clinical care, he aims to expand research collaborations with other departments and increase mental health awareness in the community.
Dr. Aguilar’s experience with professional athletes has significantly influenced the development of the institute’s programs. “When a college or high school athlete hears that we have a sports psychiatrist who works with professional teams, they’re more likely to say yes to the services,” he explains. The institute’s credibility is further bolstered by Montefiore’s affiliations with MLS’s New York City FC and the New York Yankees. Additionally, the institute accepts insurance, making it more accessible to the local community.
A Collaborative Effort Inspiring a Broader Impact
The establishment of the Sports Mental Health & Performance Institute was a collaborative effort involving Dr. David Gonzalez, Chief Medical Officer of NYC FC and Chief of the Division of Sports Medicine at Montefiore Einstein; Dr. Jonathan Alpert, Chair of Psychiatry at Einstein; and Dr. Philip Ozuah, CEO of Montefiore Medicine. “It’s important for our institute to continue to work with professional athletes because they have a powerful platform to inspire people. When they say it’s ok for them to not be ok, it makes it ok for the rest of us,” says Dr. Aguilar.
With the launch of the Sports Mental Health & Performance Institute, Montefiore Einstein is setting a new standard for prioritizing athlete mental health, breaking down barriers, and promoting overall well-being for athletes.
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