Officials gathered in Jackson on Tuesday for a ceremonial ribbon cutting at Children’s of Mississippi’s new acute psychiatric unit.
The unit, which will serve teens ages 13 to 17, is opening at a time when Mississippi’s youth are joining peers nationally in facing increasing rates of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, creating a growing demand for mental health services. Medical professionals at the Jackson hospital are hoping that offering an array of new services will help fill a critical gap. The unit was made available through a $6 million appropriation from the state legislature in 2023, along with an additional $2 million came from the federal level.
“We are deeply grateful to our elected officials for recognizing the urgent need for expanded adolescent mental health services and investing in this project,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. “Their support made it possible to address a critical gap in care and ensure that teens across our state have access to inpatient psychiatric treatment when they need it most.”
According to hospital officials, the new unit includes 10 acute psychiatric beds and offers individual therapy, goal-oriented group therapy, recreational group therapy, mindfulness activities, yoga, social skills training and access to a hospital-based accredited school to support continued education during treatment.
Many adolescents seeking psychiatric treatment arrive through the emergency department following a suicide attempt, overdose, or other crisis. Historically, Children’s of Mississippi had a child psychiatry unit and an adult psychiatry unit, but no dedicated inpatient space for adolescents. Teens who required hospitalization often had to be transferred to outside facilities. With the new facility specifically designated to meet the mental health needs of teens, officials are optimistic that access to care can be attained more efficiently.
“There has been a significant gap in inpatient psychiatric care for adolescents ages 13 to 17 in our region,” said Dr. Dustyn Baker, assistant professor and medical director of the Adolescent Acute Psychiatric Unit as well as program director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at UMMC. “Until now, we have not had the ability to admit patients in this age group here. Being able to admit them directly from our emergency department improves continuity of care and enhances patient safety.”
Officials said the dedicated adolescent unit is supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, mental health technicians, therapists, child life specialists, hospital school teachers and social workers who develop individualized, evidence-based treatment plans. As part of ongoing renovations in Children’s of Mississippi’s Batson Tower, a room on each inpatient floor is also being dedicated to psychiatric patients who may require medical care before transfer to the acute psychiatric unit. These rooms include enhanced safety features such as concealed cords and water valve shutoffs designed to help prevent self-harm.