Hackensack Meridian Health has opened Carrier Clinic’s $40 million, 43,000-square-foot expansion project to further the treatment of children and adolescents and provide support services to their families, expanding care needed for children facing a mental health crisis.
The enhancement allows Carrier Clinic, which treats adolescents with psychiatric and co-occurring disorders, to serve a greater number of children by lowering the age of patients to 7 years old from the current minimum age of 12. This will better meet the growing demand for mental health care for youths, who are experiencing increasing rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and other psychiatric conditions.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for children 10 to 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, one-third of all emergency department visits at children’s hospitals are for suicide attempts. Many more experience acute anxiety, depression, and other conditions. Carrier alone has seen a nearly 30% increase in recent years in the number of youths admitted for treatment for mental illness or substance use disorder, or both.
The expansion features 52 inpatient beds for youths, the Cohen Community Resource & Education Center, innovative treatment models such as multi-sensory rooms, an academic teaching center and a medical staff suite to expand the capacity to teach physicians and other mental health professionals.
“This project underscores our commitment to prioritizing child and adolescent mental health as a cornerstone of transforming health care,” said Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.
“Thanks to the grants we received from our legislators, along with private donations and the generosity of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, today’s opening of the Carrier Clinic expansion shows the power of partnership in turning vision into reality and creating new pathways to hope for young people and their families.”
The project was funded by state grants and private donations. State Sen. Andrew Zwicker and Assemblyman Roy Freiman sponsored resolutions to secure a total of $10 million in state funds, approved by Gov. Phil Murphy.
A $10 million grant was also provided by The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, led by philanthropist Alex Cohen, to create a family resource and training center. The Cohen Community Resource & Education Center is available to all Hackensack Meridian Health team members, patients, and the community, and will offer access to clinicians for questions, guidance in navigating issues, and support in reducing and preventing readmissions.
The Center also serves as a hub for the community to engage in educational seminars and training, such as mental health first aid training related to mental illness and substance use disorders.
Carrier Clinic’s child and adolescent expansion is the latest in a series of important moves Hackensack Meridian Health has made in recent years to meet the growing mental health crisis among youths.
In recent years, Hackensack Meridian Health announced the launch of an Adolescent Clinician Training for Suicide Prevention for Nurses (ACTS) for HMH nursing professionals.