Cincinnati Children's to open expanded, state-of-the-art mental health center for kids
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is about to open a mental health facility in College Hill that will make the hospital the largest inpatient mental health provider of any children’s hospital in the United States.
The William K. Schubert, M.D., Mental Health Center at 5642 Hamilton Ave. is more than two-thirds larger than the Cincinnati Children's center it replaces, with 83 private rooms for patients that can accommodate overnight space for families and privacy for families' involvement in their chilldren's progress, hospital officials said.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was planned for 9:30 a.m. Friday, with a move-in date set for Oct. 18 and outpatient clinics to transition there Oct. 16.
“Pediatric mental illness is one of the most pressing health issues of our time,” Dr. Steve Davis, president & CEO of Cincinnati Children’s said in a statement announcing the ribbon-cutting. “These children deserve our best ideas, our most courageous strategies, our long-term commitment, and our utmost compassion. With the opening of this facility, we have another tremendous opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our patients, families and staff in terms of improved access and the quality of care we deliver.”
The 160,000 square foot building was made possible through a $30 million donation from the Convalescent Hospital Fund for Children, which provided an additional $6 million donation to for programmatic needs. Total cost of the project was $108 million, according to hospital officials.
Design features of the new center include:
A Family Resource Center providing families support space where they can find and review mental health information and resources, make calls, use a computer, or take a break throughout the visit.
An enhanced educational center offering programs including as Therapeutic Crisis Intervention – a trauma-sensitive approach to caring for kids who are experiencing a crisis.
Therapeutic treatment spaces designed around the concept of moving patients throughout the building – much like they would experience in school – providing them with different views throughout the day.
Michael Sorter, director of the division of Cincinnati Children's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry called the building "a giant step forward" in what Cincinnati Children's will be able to do for children and families. He said the center will house an expanding group of evidence-based programs that will provide the most advanced care for children and adolescents.
Surge in youth mental health concerns coincides with opening
The center's opening comes during a nationwide youth mental health crisis that has reached into Greater Cincinnati.
More: How hard is it for Cincinnati kids to get mental health help? 2,000 are waiting on 1 list
While the new center will allow for the care of many more kids than the current one, Dr. Joe Luria, Cincinnati Children's vice president of mental health operations, said the best way to address the need for more mental health care is through prevention, early detection and early treatment. That's done best in schools, primary care offices and the hospital's outpatient sites, he said.
Luria noted that Cincinnati Children’s is helping to address the need, with therapists in schools, supporting integrated behavioral health in primary care offices and developing new outpatient mental health sites. The hospital opened one in Norwood in October 2020 and is planning an East Side facility, expected to open in two years.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Children's to open William K. Schubert Mental Health Center
