About Carrier Clinic
Carrier Clinic®, a behavioral health system, has been a trusted source of compassionate help and supportive healing for patients and their families since we opened our doors in 1910.
One of the largest independent, nonprofit central Jersey behavioral health facilities, Carrier Clinic specializes in inpatient psychiatric treatment and treatment and rehabilitation for substance abuse. We provide a complete array of expert care and education for adolescents and teens, adults, and older adults on the inpatient and residential levels. Outpatient services are provided for ECT treatment and drug abuse addiction.
Ours is a safe, compassionate, and respectful environment, set on a beautiful 100+ acre country setting at the foothills of the Sourland Mountains, in centrally-located Belle Mead, NJ. Our caring, supportive staff is among the best in their respective fields, all driven by the similar goal of returning each individual back to their family, workplace, community, and the things they enjoy.
Since 1910, Carrier Clinic® has been a trusted source of expert care for those afflicted with mental disorders or substance abuse. We rank among the top psychiatric and rehab recovery centers in NJ for several reasons. We’re always respectful of our patients’ privacy. We’re always compassionate to each individual situation. Our specialized mental health and addiction treatment programs work to return adults, adolescents, and older adults back to enjoyable and productive lives.
Our Vision
Building on our century of compassionate care, shaping the future of behavioral health.
Our Mission
To inspire hope and recovery through expert treatment, education, compassionate care, and outstanding service.
Joint Commission
Carrier Clinic is accredited by the Joint Commission, and is a member of the following organizations:
- New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA)
- New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies (NJMHA)
- American Hospital Association (AHA)
- National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS)
- Somerset County Business Partnership
- Princeton Chamber of Commerce
Credentials and Care Philosophy
Eric Alcera, MD, is Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Carrier Clinic and Behavioral Health Chair of Hackensack Meridian Health’s Central Region. He also serves as Academic Chair of Psychiatry at John F. Kennedy Medical Center and Section Chief of Psychiatry at Bayshore Medical Center.
Dr. Alcera is double board-certified in general psychiatry and in Child and Adolescent psychiatry. He earned his medical degree from Saint Louis University College of Medicine in the Philippines, and completed his residency at Cooper University Hospital, and completed fellowships in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York Presbyterian Hospital and in health care executive leadership at the School of Allied Health, Seton Hall University.
Dr. Alcera led and modernized telepsychiatry ambulatory services for the central and southern regions of HMH; directed and scaled the universal Network Suicide Screening process and implemented in all emergency rooms within HMH; helped develop psychiatry residency programs and fellowship programs in Child and Adolescent, Geriatric, Addiction Medicine, and Forensic Psychiatry; and optimized and transformed the first Urgent Care with a Behavioral Health workflow model and telebehavioral health services.
Prior to joining Hackensack Meridian Health, Dr. Alcera served as the Deputy Director of the Child and Adolescent Department at Bellevue Hospital-NYU, where he helped establish the first child partial hospital program in New York City. He has also held faculty appointments at both New York University, Robert Langone School of Medicine and Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Dr. Alcera says: "My philosophy of care is rooted in treating every patient as if they were a member of my own family, offering the same compassion, attention, and dedication that I would extend to those closest to me. I am deeply committed to early intervention, as I cannot accept the preventable progression of childhood psychopathology into lifelong adult psychiatric illnesses; my goal is to guide each individual toward a healthier future."