Children’s Hospital Opens New Behavioral Health Center for Children

Disclosure :: this post is sponsored by Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

Children’s Hospital New Orleans Opens New Behavioral Health Center for Children

Did you know that 1 in 5 children suffer from a mental disorder? Or that 1 in 6 teens have contemplated suicide in the past year? Or that 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses start by age 14?

Children’s Hospital New Orleans is seeking to tackle the prevalence of mental and behavioral health disorders in adolescents head on by envisioning and building one of the largest free-standing, independent behavioral health centers dedicated to children’s mental health in the country.

The brand new 51 bed Behavioral Health Center is expected to open in March, and this state-of-the-art facility offers both inpatient and outpatient care. Most importantly, it provides a physical space where children are safe and feel comfortable while they get the services and help they need. The facility is decorated with a calming nature theme throughout, and it offers special touches such as an interactive projector in the waiting room to help entertain children. This is especially helpful to families accompanying a child with a shortened attention span. They have designed and executed the facility with an emphasis on safety for patients. The furniture, decor, and hardware selections were all selected and designed to ensure that children in crisis would remain safe from harm.

The inpatient unit provides services for children ages 7-17 with an average stay of 5-7 days. Its mission is to serve as an acute care center for children in a crisis and get them out of their crisis and back in their homes with a continuum of care provided through the outpatient setting.

Outpatient care is available for children and adolescents with autism, ADHD, and other mental health needs. It offers a full range of outpatient services with comprehensive evaluation and management of these needs.

Their center also offers a wide array of therapy including art, music, yoga, and an incredible outdoor space. The new Behavioral Health Center focuses on teaching and empowering the individual patient to develop healthy life skills to improve their current function and their future quality of life.

Children’s Hospital has ensured that the facility is nurturing to both the patients and their families by offering information, transparency, and partnership with parents. The Behavioral Health Center engages parents in treatment plans, gives them opportunities to support their children, and they are even exploring options through Telehealth that would allow parents to communicate with their children even if they are unable to physically visit due to work or distance prohibiting them from travel.

Children’s Hospital understands that in order to begin to address these community needs, it must partner with other organization throughout the state and region. Telemedicine services will be offered at this center helping to improve access and support for the entire region, and they have begun an initiative partnering with local schools as well. These partnerships include direct services, partnering with school leadership teams, and helping them build sustainable mental health programs for their schools.

It’s time to break down barriers and talk openly about mental health. Can you imagine a world where 5 out of 5 children thrive? There’s a mental health crisis in our children, and this is a huge step in the right direction for Louisiana. This Behavioral Health Center will amplify and proactively address mental and behavioral health for children throughout our state as one of the largest and most comprehensive programs in the country. While these problems cannot be solved overnight, the leadership and partnership of Children’s Hospital within our community is a huge step forward.

Children’s Hospital launches High 5 Project – a movement to advance the mental wellbeing of all kids.

In tandem with the opening of the new Behavioral Health Center, Children’s Hospital is launching a community wide movement to meet the mental health needs of Louisiana’s children – The High 5 Project!

The High Five Project is about….

  • Spreading kindness
  • Boosting confidence
  • Expanding access
  • Providing support
  • Sharing resources
  • Improving care
  • Removing stigmas

And building a community focused on mental wellbeing for all kids.

Join the conversation! Share why you High 5 using the hashtag #High5Project.

Catherine Karas
Catherine followed her college sweetheart (and now wife) Claire to New Orleans after they both graduated from the University of Georgia. She is a twin mom, a stay at home mom, a boy mom, a Disney mom, and a 2 mom family mom...just to name a few. She throws a mean toddler play date and loves to host small humans in her home for themed out events! She is often planning her next great family adventure, and she is never scared to pack her twins up for a trip solo! Her parenting mantra is "embrace the chaos", and there is plenty of that when raising twin boys! You can follow her family adventures on instagram @krewedekaras

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