MANSFIELD — Derrick Martin said one skill Akron Children’s patients learn is to identify physical warning signs of panic attacks.
“A patient might think I remember that one time my shoulders were tense and my heart was beating faster when I felt nervous,” said Martin, the clinical operations supervisor for Akron Children’s Western Region said.
“The idea there is to understand your emotions and what’s happening in your body. All the check engine lights are physical. It’s not until the car breaks down that we have to backtrack and figure out what went wrong.”
These psychotherapy skills aim to help teens in Mansfield’s partial hospitalization program change their thinking patterns and coping skills to manage depression and anxiety.
Akron Children’s launched its partial hospitalization program (PHP) at the Mansfield Behavioral Health Center in December. Located at 1027 Trimble Road, the program aims to help young people stabilize their mental health status.
“It’s designed to help them develop healthy coping skills that will last into adulthood,” Martin said. “This program can be helpful if you’re coming out of inpatient treatment, or if you want to learn skills early so you can avoid a crisis center down the line.”
PHP is for teens 12 to 18. The five-day-a-week program includes individual, group and family therapy. Martin said the average length of a patient’s stay is 5-10 days.
Martin said the PHP doesn’t currently have a waiting list, so staff members are equipped to serve teens right away.
“Someone who’s suicidal will probably need to go in as an inpatient to be hospitalized, but PHP can help them maintain stabilization,” he said. “It’s a ladder, and you can start at different steps before you find the right fit.”
PHP includes goal-setting & different therapy skills
Mansfield’s stand-alone behavioral health center opened in August, offering psychiatric services to children ages 5 to 18 and their families.
The PHP is limited to 10 students at a time, but Martin estimated around 150 kids come in for different services each week.
The PHP includes a psychiatric assessment, different levels of therapy work, art and music therapy, yoga, physical and spiritual wellness and goal-setting.
“Since COVID, we’ve seen a 60% uptick in depression and anxiety among kids,” Martin said. “Really, the whole mental health community is working to address that and get them the resources they need.”
According to the Ohio Department of Health, suicide was the second leading cause of death among Ohioans ages 10 to 34 in 2021. Youth suicide (ages 10-24) increased 5% from 2020, and the age group with the highest rate of suicide was 25-44.
Martin said staff members survey new patients and help them set goals for their care. The patients and their family members can reevaluate how they’re feeling and decide whether to go to a higher level of care.
“The parent response from this has been really good, the patient response is a bit of a mix,” Martin said.
“A lot of kids come in here dead set on not being here, but they can turn around in certain groups. You just have to know where to engage them, and when they start to break down that wall a little bit, then they’ll do their best work.”
A teacher/school liaison is also on-site for time set aside for schoolwork.
The hospital has also partnered with area therapy providers in Richland and Ashland counties for mutual referrals. Once a patient is discharged from PHP, Martin said they usually attend outpatient therapy.
“We teach teens skills to help change problem behavior, improve relationships and cope with stressful situations,” he said. “We are very excited to bring these highly specialized programs to Mansfield’s youth.
“You’re getting all of the benefits of Akron’s main campus here.”
If any parent or caregiver has a candidate in mind for PHP or wants to learn more, they can call 330-543-5015.