Editorial: Youth mental health facility will fill major county need
It’s one of Santa Clara County parents’ worst nightmares. A child develops a mental health problem to such a degree that treatment at a psychiatric hospital becomes necessary.
The only alternative for parents today is sending children with serious mental health issues to facilities in neighboring areas, including Concord, Vallejo or even Sacramento. Shipping vulnerable children hours away from their families and regular health care providers is counterproductive. Kids need the support of their family and friends. Parents under pressure shouldn’t have to drive long distances to visit their children. It’s hard enough dealing with a child’s mental health issues.
It’s difficult to overstate the need. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death between the ages of 10-24. According to the, in 2021, 29% of students experienced poor mental health, 22% seriously considered attempting suicide, and 10% attempted suicide. Those numbers led the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to recommend regular anxiety screenings for youth ages 8 to 18 and regular depression screenings for adolescents ages 12 to 18.
When completed, the facility will have on the third floor 21 beds for patients ages 13 to 17 and 14 beds for children 12 years and younger. The second floor will have 42 beds for adults. The first floor will include space for emergency psychiatric services, including separate secured ambulance bays for minors and adults, taking pressure off of Valley Medical Center’s busy emergency room.
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