As more children and adolescents seek treatment for mental health emergencies, Northwell Health is investing $500 million in hopes of making a difference.
Northwell Health plans to build a child and adolescent mental health pavilion. It will be connected to Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Zucker Hillside Hospital. (Image: Northwell Health)
The New York system is investing $350 million over the next five years and seeking to raise an additional $150 million. Northwell plans to build a child and adolescent mental health pavilion. It will be connected to Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Zucker Hillside Hospital, an adult mental health facility, in Queens, New York.
This is a great project that meets the need, says Charles Schleien, senior vice president of pediatric services at Northwell.
“We felt this was necessary given what’s happening in our communities,” Schleien says. Director of Healthcare®. “You know, a terrible epidemic of serious mental health issues among children and particularly adolescents, high suicide rates, you know, never seen before.
“This is all happening across the country,” he said. “And the fact is that mental health care, especially for children, has always been under-resourced. »
Hospital and health care officials say they are treating more children with mental health emergencies than before the COVID-19 pandemic, but they say the crisis has been building for years.
Northwell may be seeing fewer children with mental health emergencies than at the height of the pandemic, but Schleien is quick to add: “Where we are stabilizing is at a much higher level than before the pandemic. pandemic. »
“It’s still at a much higher level than what we saw three, three or four years ago,” he said.
Northwell partnered with school systems to provide more resources and worked to expand access to mental health services. The system also assigned more mental health workers to pediatric offices so they could see children more easily, Schleien says.
Despite these measures, Schleien says the system has been “flooded” with children in crisis.
“We felt like we should do something that also tries to alleviate some of the hospitalization needs of these kids,” Schleien says.
Northwell plans to construct a 200,000-square-foot building that will include more than 100 inpatient beds. It will also house specialized outpatient clinics. Northwell announced the project during an event at Citi Field to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Cohen Children’s Medical Center on November 7.
The project is designed to bring children with mental and physical health issues together under one roof, which Schleien says is an important aspect of the initiative.
“Children with chronic mental health problems tend to have more other chronic illnesses,” says Schleien. “And children with chronic illnesses tend to develop more mental health problems.”
Doctors at the Children’s Hospital and Mental Health Pavilion will be connected, and doctors will be able to attend to all of the children’s needs. Schleien also says having the mental health pavilion connected to Cohen Children’s Medical Center could make it easier for families to seek their services.
“A parent takes their child to a children’s hospital, not to a psychiatric hospital per se,” says Schleien.
Northwell sees many children and teens struggling with depression and witnesses suicide attempts among young people almost daily, Schleiein says.
The Northwell Eating Disorders Clinic also sees many patients.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that at least one in five children suffer from some type of mental health disorder each year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10 to 14, according to CDC data.
In reality, it will probably take five years to build the mental health tower, Schleien says. Fundraising always has its challenges, but Schleien says the philanthropic goal of $150 million is a realistic goal.
“It’s going to be difficult, but so far we’ve had a lot of support,” Schleien says. “And we have a wonderful group of donors and supporters of Children’s Hospital. Frankly, I think this is a topic that affects everyone who has a family member affected by a serious mental illness, or who is close to someone who does.
Donors and knowledgeable people also recognize that Northwell is not investing substantially in mental health because the system views it as a financially profitable exercise.
“It’s not a source of income,” Schleien says. “He’s a money loser.”
Michael Dowlingpresident and CEO of Northwell Health, says the project is part of the system’s efforts to provide better care for children and adolescents.
“We know that mental health is health,” Dowling said in a statement. “Our mission to fully treat patients also includes the mental well-being of our young patients. »
Help is available
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifebuoy: Dial or text 988 to connect with someone. Help is available 24/7.
