Bartlett Regional Hospital has started offering crisis care to adolescents.
The crisis stabilization unit, part of the new Aurora Behavioral Health Center, opened on Monday. It’s staffed with psychiatrists, nurses, counselors and community navigators to help teens get the treatment they need.
The unit is on the center’s top floor. There are common areas with board games and puzzles, yellow bean bag chairs and warm lighting. Wallpaper in the hallways depicts mountains, trees and water.
“I think the space and how it’s designed presents the care with such dignity,” said Sarah Zaglifa, Bartlett’s clinical director of behavioral health services.
Patients’ rooms have built-in nightstands and desks, and the windows overlook the Gastineau Channel. There are rooms with couches and armchairs where staff can talk to whole families or take parents aside.
In 2020, suicide was the leading cause of death for Alaska Native youth aged 10 to 19 and all youth aged 10 to 14, according to the state. It was the second leading cause of death that year for Alaskans aged 15 to 34.
Bartlett’s unit serves youth aged 12 to 17. It follows a Crisis Now model, which aims to reduce reliance on law enforcement and emergency rooms when people are in crisis.
Teens and their parents won’t have to call ahead before going to Aurora. They won’t need a referral from the Juneau Police Department or the Office of Children’s Services to get treatment. It’s meant to be as accessible as an emergency room.
Dr. Marie Roy Babbitt, a child and adolescent psychiatrist leading the new crisis services, said the goal is to provide well-rounded services all in one place.
“We can offer medications, we can offer a medical check-up, but we also have one-on-one counseling, family counseling and that link to services outside of the crisis unit,” she said. “It’s all on the same floor within the same space, so somebody isn’t getting shuffled from all over the building.”
Most teens will be there for less than a week. Before they leave, staff will work with families to explain the treatment plan, which may involve medication or working with the teen’s school on an Individualized Educational Plan. The unit’s navigators will keep working with teens and their families to make sure they’re getting the outpatient services they need.
Zaglifa said teens had to go to the emergency room for crisis care before the new unit opened.
“This gives us an alternative that’s more developmentally appropriate for adolescents, is warmer, more inviting, less clinical or sterile and adult-focused, like an emergency room can sometimes feel to an adolescent,” she said.
Teens can still go to the emergency room if they feel like that’s the right first stop. Jennifer Carson, Bartlett’s executive director of behavioral health services, said there’s no wrong door into Bartlett’s crisis services.
“Even if they’re not appropriate for admission, our goal is to help get them to the right location,” she said.
If you or a loved one are experiencing thoughts of suicide, you can call or text 988. You can also call the Careline at 877-266-HELP for grief support or if you just need someone to talk to.
