Ribbon cutting for newly renovated Children’s Crisis Intervention Center
Yale New Haven Health Childrens Hospital
Project Team:Yale New Haven HealthBAM CreativeCENTEK Engineering Inc.Petra Construction Corp.
On July 21, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital unveiled its new Children’s Crisis Intervention Center, a dedicated behavioral health treatment space within the Children’s Emergency Department.
The newly renovated Center provides a state-of-the-art calm environment where patients up to age 15 can receive rapid evaluation, stabilization and connection to ongoing services 24/7. A team of physicians, nurses, social workers and milieu counselors trained in pediatric behavioral health treat children experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, depression, anxiety, substance misuse and other mental health crises.
“Today marks an important step forward for children and families across Connecticut,” said Pamela Sutton-Wallace, acting CEO, Yale New Haven Health.
The Center incorporates the Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing (EMPATH) model, which provides a specialized, therapeutic approach for patients experiencing behavioral health emergencies.
Beth Heinz, senior vice president, Women’s and Children’s Services, Yale New Haven Hospital, noted that traditional emergency departments are designed to deliver rapid stabilization. For children experiencing behavioral health challenges, that can sometimes intensify distress rather than relieve it.
“When we think about caring for children in crisis, we must ask not only what care we provide, but how we provide it,” Heinz said. “The EMPATH model represents a transformative approach, providing a calm, healing environment centered on dignity, compassion and recovery.”
Learn more about the project below.
Ribbon Cutting
