Our newest behavioral health centers in Canton and Mansfield bring services such as outpatient therapy close to home for children and teens in these communities.
As we continue to prioritize pediatric mental and behavioral health in the communities we serve, our newest behavioral health centers in Canton and Mansfield are now open. Our first regional behavioral health center opened in Boardman in 2019.
These facilities bring most of the pediatric behavioral health services available at our Akron campus close to home for children and teens in these communities. This includes outpatient therapy, medical management, the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). The staff includes pediatric psychiatrists and psychologists, mental health therapists, psychiatric nurse practitioners and support staff.
“We know how important these services are to patient families and this regional strategy is to bring them closer to home,” said Dr. Eva Szigethy, director of Pediatric Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and the Lois C. Orr Endowed Chair in Pediatric Psychiatry at Akron Children’s. “The demand has increased both in our regions and nationally. It is critical for us to tackle problems like anxiety and depression in general and to provide immediate helpful services for families who have a child in a behavioral health crisis. Ultimately, our goal is to prevent the need for higher acuity care by early behavioral health screening and intervention in both pediatric offices and in behavioral centers like this one.”
Many of the staff in our behavioral health centers live in those communities, so they have a pulse on local resources, which helps them identify unmet needs.
“In opening our behavioral health centers, we did our due diligence and connected with other agencies in each of these communities,” said Doug Straight, director, behavioral health services. “We continue to have ongoing meetings to discuss trends and how to best work together. It’s about being collaborative and identifying what each organization does really well.”
“We are excited to collaborate with other providers in the community, fill any gaps in services and become part of the overall network of care,” said Dr. Szigethy. “In meeting with local mental health boards and providers, we’ve learned of their concerns and are responding to particular needs for psychiatric care and medication management.”
To serve more children and teens where they live, mental health specialists have also been fully integrated into our 40 primary care locations, with the goal of providing service five days a week. These mental health specialists are receiving training from Seattle Children’s Hospital on providing brief, evidence-based behavioral therapy for common mental health concerns. If more help is needed, patients can be linked to other levels of care.
Those requiring hospitalization for a behavioral health concern will still come to Akron, but programs like PHP and IOP are designed to deter the crises that lead to ER visits and hospitalization. These programs also provide “step-down” support after discharge as patients transition back to home and school.
“Through prevention, screening and early intervention, we can better manage symptoms before they escalate to requiring inpatient care,” Dr. Szigethy said.
If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, talk with their pediatrician.
