The new 17-bed inpatient space has been in the works since 2018 and will officially open this Friday. It is designed to meet the unique needs of children who require intensive mental and behavioral health care. Dr. Amy Meadows, the Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, says mental health is a part of health and needs to be treated with the same level of care as any other medical condition.
Dr. Meadows says the need for quality mental health care has been on the rise since 2019, especially among children and adolescents. A recent study found that nationwide, more than 60% of children and adolescents with major depression receive no mental health care and self-harm cases resulting in hospital admission nearly doubled between 2019 and 2021.
There has also been a growing understanding of the need to openly discuss mental illness and erase the stigma of needing medical help.
This new space has 1 private and 8 semi-private rooms that are specially designed for patients who are between 5 and 17 years old. Along with medical providers, there are art and music therapists, pastoral care, a secure outdoor space for yoga and recreational therapy. Each room has therapeutic lighting and artwork. And there are multi-use areas with child-friendly activities and enhanced audiovisual and media services. Dr. Meadows says these are areas where kids and be kids and connect with others their age who are experiencing the same challenges. If you know someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
