Dayton Children’s Hospital is opening an emotional well being center on its campus, bringing together existing mental health care programs.
The center will have resources for emotional, mental and behavioral wellbeing for kids.
This includes a range of programs from school-based therapy to suicide prevention training.
The need for this support is urgent, said Sue Fralick, the center's director.
“We need to spend some time trying to develop resiliency in kids, in their families, being able to enhance protective and supportive factors so that kids can grow and thrive,” Fralick said.
“And maybe in that way, we will be able to circumvent some of the more serious mental health needs that become ingrained over time when kids aren't getting the help they need early.”
The $7 million center has over 100 employees to support kids with outreach and resources.
Programs that fall under the Center for Emotional Wellbeing include:
- Clinic-based programs: Healthy Steps parenting and child development support for kids age 0-3.
- Community-based programs : Mental Health First aid and suicide prevention training, and the On Our Sleeves campaign to break stigmas and provide wellness tools.
- home-based programs: Community health workers who support for children and families
- School-based programs : Therapy in school and after school, and Student Resiliency Program for students and families impacted by trauma.
- Resource programs: Mental Health Resource Connection, which works with pediatrician offices to connect patients to services, and the Youth and Family Resource Connection, which works with school staff to connect students and families with wellness resource.
Dayton Children's Hospital officials have repeatedly called mental health conditions the number one health concern facing youth.
Along with the new emotional wellbeing center, Dayton Children’s is also planning to open a new behavioral health buildingnext spring. The building will double the number of beds the pediatric hospital has for behavioral health patients.
