Children’s Hospital & Medical Center announced Thursday that it will “develop, pilot and open” innovative pediatric mental health urgent care centers throughout Nebraska.
The centers, which will serve children and adolescents, aim to address the national mental health crisis and improve access to mental health care in the state.
Centers will be located in Omaha and central or western Nebraska. The exact number of centers and their locations have yet to be determined.
Children’s will receive $10 million from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act federal pool of funds to establish the centers.
Children’s will also receive $1.8 million in funding from the Department of Health and Human Services for telehealth technology to support pediatric mental health initiatives.
The Nebraska Legislature allocated a total of $40 million of state ARPA funds for behavioral health projects in Bill 1014, which outlines how the state will spend pandemic funds. Governor Pete Ricketts signed the measure on Wednesday.
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Chanda Chacon, President and CEO of Children, thanked lawmakers, Ricketts and state government partners for working to meet the needs of the state’s youth.
“It is overwhelming to see the support from Members of the Legislative Assembly who recognize the mental health crisis we face today and who have the courage to make a one-time investment that will last a lifetime,” Chacon said. in a press release.
“Now is the time to work with our partners and community stakeholders, and we are committed to solving children’s mental health issues through an innovative model of care.
One in five American children reports having suffered from a mental health problem in a given year.
In 2021, children’s hospitals across the country reported a 45% increase in the number of self-harm and suicide cases among 5- to 17-year-olds compared to the same period in 2019, according to Sound the Alarm for Kids, a campaign by the Children’s Hospital Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and others.
In December, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory to highlight the urgent need to address the mental health crisis among young people.
Dr. Jennifer McWilliams, chief of the division of child psychiatry, said the $1.8 million for telehealth will help the hospital expand access across the state and provide more immediate access to services. . This money had been added to LB 1014 after having originally been included in another measure.
Two other previously announced projects also aim to expand mental health services in the state. Each will receive a portion of the behavioral health care funding allocated by the legislature.
A nonprofit group led by Omaha philanthropist Ken Stinson plans to build a new 36- to 40-bed behavioral health center for children ages 5 to 18 on the Immanuel Center campus. The facility will cost around $50 million and will be called Lasting Hope Center for Children and Families. It will be operated by CHI Health.
Additionally, Community Alliance — an Omaha nonprofit that has served Nebraskanians for 40 years — announced plans to expand its services and build a 120,000 square foot corporate headquarters at 71st Street and Mercy Road.
The construction will be funded through a $60 million capital campaign, which includes the organization’s share of federal funds appropriated by the Legislative Assembly.
Carole Boye, CEO of Community Alliance, said when announcing the expansion that mental health issues were apparent in the community before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has increased the number of people affected and brought to light the the region’s lack of capacity and access to behavioral health. care.
Our best Omaha staff photos and videos from April 2022
A pedestrian finds a moment in the sun while walking under Interstate 480 in downtown Omaha this week.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
A four-alarm fire burns at a senior living facility under construction on Applied Parkway near 144th and Pacific streets on Sunday. The four alarms were the first in Omaha since the Butternut Coffee building fire in 2004.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
A four-alarm fire burns at a senior living facility under construction on Applied Parkway near 144th and Pacific streets on Sunday.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
Creighton’s Tommy Lamb will pitch against Arizona at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on Monday.
LILY SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
Storms approach Blair, Nebraska, looking west on State Highway 91 as the sun begins to set Tuesday.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
Storms are approaching Blair, Nebraska, looking north on County Road 25 just north of State Highway 91 on Tuesday.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
This squirrel stopped to nibble on flowers outside Andrews Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus earlier this month. Squirrels, being primarily herbivores, primarily eat nuts, seeds, mushrooms, and fruits, as well as a wide variety of plants.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
Chris Jambor, left, and his 8-year-old son Dexter Jambor enjoy Saturday’s 2022 Nebraska spring game from the sound end of Memorial Stadium.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
On Wednesday, UNO’s Eduardo Rosario scores Nebraska’s Max Anderson at home at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha.
LILY SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska takes to the field for the start of Nebraska’s spring football game at Lincoln on Saturday.
ANNA REED/THE HERALD OF THE WORLD
The Union for Contemporary Art has announced that it will convert the FJ Carey Block building into the Shirley Tyree Theatre. The project also plans to preserve the historic architecture of the building.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
On Wednesday, Trent Hixson of Nebraska spoke to the media.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE HERald OF THE WORLD
Millard West’s Drew Borner (4) celebrates his fourth inning run with teammates in the dugout during the Millard West vs. Elkhorn South baseball game at Elkhorn South High School on Friday. Millard West won the match 16-0 in five sets.
ANNA REED/THE HERALD OF THE WORLD
