Cleveland Clinic Children’s is launching a pediatric partial hospitalization program with an anticipated opening this fall at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation.
The program will be located in a renovated space specifically designed to provide structured, supportive care for children and adolescents experiencing significant behavioral health challenges.
The pediatric partial hospitalization program will provide intensive multidisciplinary treatment for youth who need more support than traditional outpatient therapy, but do not require inpatient care. The program will also incorporate innovative technology such as virtual reality exposure therapy, AI-assisted emotional regulation therapy and frequency-specific microcurrent therapy to support therapeutic learning and engagement, helping young patients build the skills they need for long-term recovery.
In 2021, leading pediatric groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry declared a National State of Emergency in children’s mental health. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of depression, anxiety and suicide attempts soared by more than 45% among children and teens. At Cleveland Clinic’s pediatric emergency room, patients younger than 21 seeking mental health care increased by almost 300%.
“What we see is that many families face fragmented care and long waitlists,” said Joe Austerman, D.O., chair of the Department of Pediatric Behavioral Health & Neurosciences at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “By strengthening the connection between crisis care, intensive outpatient services and long-term outpatient treatment, it’s our hope that this program will help ensure children and families receive the right level of care at the right time.”
In addition to the pediatric partial hospitalization program, other initiatives such as a mobile intensive intervention team, suicide prevention center and a behavioral unit within pediatric emergency departments are in planning phases at Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
“The mental health challenges facing our young people are greater than ever, and if we don’t address them now, the impact will be felt for generations to come,” said Ethan Benore, Ph.D., chair of the Division of Pediatric Behavioral Health at Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
This expansion of services was made possible through investment funding and collaboration with the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health.