Adolescent Services
The Adolescent Care Unit, located at Merit Health River Region, is an 18-bed, secure inpatient psychiatric facility for the treatment of adolescents from ages 13 years - 17 years experiencing acute behavioral health treatment needs. Since we are located at a full service medical facility, our patients also have access to consultation by other medical specialists for non-psychiatric medical needs. Our Adolescent Care Unit is a short term facility. The typical length of stay is 7-10 days.
We recognize that it isn't easy to trust just anyone to care for your child. That's why all of the attending psychiatrists, staff nurses, social workers, technicians, professional therapists and counselors that work in our Adolescent Care Unit have extensive training and experience in providing the special approaches to care that our young patients require. All these professionals work together to provide an environment where the patient and his/her family can best work on each particular problem area.
Our program provides treatment to adolescents who display any, or a combination of, the following:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Obsessive compulsive disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self injurious behavior
- Oppositional defiance
- Mood disorders
- Psychosis
- Suicidal thoughts/tendencies
- Behavioral problems
Our goal is to help our patients and their families learn new problem solving skills and interpersonal skills, and to give them the opportunity to practice these skills. Our staff is trained to use evidence-based practices to help our patients begin to make changes, with an emphasis on planning to continue the work of recovery long after the inpatient hospital stay has ended. A structured therapeutic program is offered on the unit to provide patients with the optimal environment for recovery. Individual, group and family services are combined to assist the patient, depending upon each patient's individual treatment plan.
Admission to the Adolescent Care Unit
Adolescent patients do not need a physician referral for admission. A staff of intake coordinators is available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. These trained professionals gather certain health information for a determination by the medical director for appropriate admission, and to arrange outpatient referrals when needed. Emergencies should be handled by calling 911, or by visiting your nearest emergency department anytime.
If you have any questions regarding admissions, please call and speak with one of our friendly intake coordinators now at (601) 883-3838 or toll free at (800) 843-2131. All calls are confidential.