Bon Secours Richmond is announcing the launch of a new adolescent behavioral health partial hospital program (PHP) in Richmond on the campus of Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital. This program will provide intensive outpatient care for adolescents living with behavioral health co-occurring disorders, serving as an important step between traditional outpatient care and the behavioral health services Bon Secours offers via hospitalization. Programming is slated to begin in February.
There are many factors that contribute to the health of a population, and our community residents and stakeholders have been very helpful over the years in helping Bon Secours identify health, social and economic issues that need our attention through our tri-annual Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). A vital area of focus that is consistently present in our analysis is the need for enhanced behavioral health services, especially post pandemic.
“We are thrilled to open this new behavioral health resource for the adolescents in our community that are in need of additional mental and behavioral health support,” said Mae Carter, director of outpatient behavioral health services for Bon Secours Richmond. “Outpatient behavioral health services are severely under-resourced, and we’ve seen a growing need for a service to bridge the gap between inpatient and traditional outpatient services for our community’s youth. Bon Secours is proud to respond directly to community need with this new service, improving access to critical behavioral health services for a community and population where they are needed most.”
Built upon best practices and physician led in partnership with a team of licensed clinical social workers, the PHP will provide innovative and intensive care for adolescents living with behavioral health issues such as anxiety, depression and more. Patients between the ages of 12 and 17 who have experienced a change in behavior, consistent depression, ongoing anxiety, or those who are not making any improvements with traditional outpatient therapy may be a fit for these programs. The intensive program is run five days a week in a group therapy setting and the length of stay for treatment is usually a minimum of two weeks. In addition, there is time built into the program schedule for students to focus on schoolwork daily. Currently, Bon Secours is recruiting for a part-time teacher who will help facilitate this self-guided schoolwork while students are in the program.
This program was made possible by the Praespero Group and the Bon Secours Richmond Health Care Foundation. The Praespero Group worked closely with Bon Secours to fulfill our mission to provide access to care for this unique patient population. They managed a fundraising campaign so they could incorporate unique touches throughout the new suite. They carefully chose the colors, visuals and materials that are not only soothing but inviting for patients during their time in the program, with the ultimate goal of having these patients to feel they are in a safe and special environment rather than in a clinical space. In addition, funding for the program was generated through proceeds of the 2023 Children’s Hope Gala fundraiser, which benefits Bon Secours’ pediatric programs and services through the Bon Secours Richmond Health Care Foundation.
In 2022, Bon Secours opened adult behavioral health partial hospitalization programs in the East End on the Richmond Community Hospital campus and in Petersburg on the Southside Medical Center campus. For more information about Bon Secours’ adult or adolescent partial hospitalization programs, visit www.bonsecours.com.
If an adolescent in your life is in need of an assessment, we encourage you to reach out to our intake referral line at 804-270-8468 for a free consultation. And, of course, if you or a loved one are in crisis, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.