Akron Children’s brings its intensive outpatient pediatric behavioral health program to Mansfield

01-19-2024 ( Ohio )

AKRON, Ohio (Jan. 19, 2024) ­ - Families in Richland and neighboring counties who have children and teens struggling with depression, anxiety and other behavioral health challenges now have an additional resource close to home.

Akron Children’s has brought its signature intensive outpatient program to its stand-alone Behavioral Health Center, located at 1027 S. Trimble Rd. in Mansfield.

The Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is designed to keep children and teens in the community, out of psychiatric inpatient treatment and/or transition them from inpatient care back home. The goals are to help young people improve their functioning, stabilize their mental status and develop healthy coping skills that will last into adulthood.

PHP is for children and teens 12 to 18. The five-day-a-week program includes individual, group, and family therapy, and the average length of stay is 5 to 10 days, says Derrick Martin, clinical operations supervisor, Outpatient & Intensive Services for Akron Children’s Western Region.

“We teach teens skills to help change problem behavior, improve relationships and cope with stressful situations,” Martin said. “New skills are reinforced through education and training, group sessions, goal setting and expressive therapy groups. Parent participation is an important and required component."

Time is set aside during the day for the participants to catch up on their schoolwork.

PHP providers use dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), an evidence-based psychotherapy that has proven effective in treating mood disorders and changing behavioral patterns.

“We are very excited to bring these highly-specialized, pediatric-focused behavioral health programs to our community,” said Martin.

If you think your child may be a candidate for PHP or would like to learn more, call 330-543-5015.

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