GRIDLEY, Calif. — About one in five adolescents in the United States are diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health condition, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In California, officials say the numbers are even more staggering, with roughly 45% of that age group struggling with their mental health.
That growing need is driving the construction of a new youth psychiatric health facility in Gridley — a project local leaders say cannot come soon enough.
The $9 million facility, funded through a federal grant, will provide 16 inpatient beds for young people in crisis. Construction manager Travis Smith said recent weather has slowed progress slightly, but work remains on track.
“We’re just having some weather delays, but it’s going to be looking pretty good here in the next couple of weeks,” Smith said.
The 9,200-square-foot building is rising directly behind Orchard Hospital and is expected to open by the end of the year.
Hospital officials also announced the facility’s name. After residents were given five options to choose from, the winning vote is in. The center will be called “Orchard Horizon.”
While the walls are going up, mental health professionals say another barrier remains.
“It is not gone, unfortunately,” said Kirsten Storne-Piazza, director of behavioral health at Orchard Hospital, referring to the stigma surrounding mental health treatment.
But she remains hopeful.
“Butte County Behavioral Health does an amazing job of bringing awareness to it with the goal of reducing the stigma,” Storne-Piazza said.
Part of that awareness involves addressing modern stressors. In an era of constant digital connection, she said social media dependency is playing a significant role in adolescent mental health struggles.
“That plays a huge role in the mental health of our youth and adolescents,” she said.
Currently, some young people in Butte County who require inpatient psychiatric care must be sent as far away as Southern California due to a lack of local beds — a situation that can make family involvement difficult.
“And that makes it very challenging for the families to be able to participate and support them through their healing journey,” Storne-Piazza said.
If construction remains on schedule, Orchard Horizon will open its doors by the end of the calendar year, providing what officials hope will be a long-awaited local lifeline for families across the North State.