:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/4YLVJQXNFFGTXJ7GFKZHL76GYA.jpg)
A partnership between St. Louis Children’s Hospital and mental health treatment nonprofit KVC Missouri has resulted in plans to build a 70-bed residential center for children with mental health disorders. The new center will be constructed on KVC Missouri’s Webster Groves campus over the next two years.
KVC Missouri President Lindsey Stephenson highlighted the need for such services in the St. Louis area and across Missouri, stating that the coronavirus pandemic has led to an increase in children seeking treatment for anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Finding appropriate care, especially residential or inpatient care for pediatric patients, can be challenging for families.
The upcoming campus will house both the new residential hospital and a repurposed building for outpatient treatment. KVC’s Webster Groves campus currently provides adoption and foster care services, treatment for children with autism, and other mental health and family-oriented services. The campus is one of several operated by the nonprofit throughout Missouri and other Midwest states.
The collaboration between KVC and BJC Health on this project is a more formal agreement than their previous partnerships. Angela Martin-Davis, president of Behavioral Health at BJC, explained that professionals from Washington University Medical School, BJC, and Children’s Hospital will work alongside KVC staff at the new campus to provide comprehensive care to children with mental health disorders.
The addition of the new hospital will supplement the 14 mental health beds currently available at Children’s Hospital for pediatric patients. Martin-Davis emphasized that hospital emergency departments are seeing more children with severe mental health issues but lack resources to provide adequate care. The shortage of inpatient behavioral health treatment is causing delays in admission, lengthy wait times, and sometimes extensive travel times for children and families in need.
In conclusion, the construction of a 70-bed residential center on KVC Missouri’s Webster Groves campus will assist in providing much-needed services to children seeking treatment for mental health disorders in the St. Louis area and across Missouri. The collaboration between KVC and BJC Health along with professionals from Washington University Medical School will ensure that these children receive comprehensive care they deserve.
The shortage of resources to provide adequate care is a growing concern among healthcare providers worldwide. However, organizations like KVC Missouri are taking steps towards addressing this issue by building specialized facilities like this one dedicated solely to caring for pediatric patients with mental health disorders.
Overall, this project represents an important milestone in improving access to mental healthcare services for children who need it most in our communities today.
