More Than 500 Wichita-Area Youth Have Benefited from New, Life-Saving Psychiatric Treatment
KVC Hospitals Wichita opened six months ago to provide emergency psychiatric treatment to children and teens in Kansas. As we kick off the new year, we would like to recap the past six months and celebrate all that our dedicated staff has accomplished in partnership with our generous supporters to help children and families.
https://youtu.be/31ASkAyZEd0
When Youth Face a Mental Health Emergency, KVC Hospitals Stands Ready to Help
Since opening in July 2019, more than 500 Wichita area youth have benefited from our life-saving psychiatric treatment. Some of the ways we’ve helped these children include teaching them how to identify and talk about their emotions, helping them develop skills for coping with stress and trauma, and providing resources that will support them long after they leave our treatment center.
Know someone who might benefit from psychiatric treatment at one of our inpatient hospitals? Make a referral or call us at (913) 890-7468.
The list below explains some of the services available to children while in our care.
- Family Therapy: This vital aspect of treatment is conducted by a therapist with the goal of strengthening the family system. Therapists work to improve communication, enhance a family’s ability to help their child, and provide a better understanding of mental health issues and behavioral concerns.
- Individual Therapy: Our licensed therapists help each child identify and understand their interpersonal challenges and learn new skills to deal with stress. The overall goal of individual therapy is to improve the child’s quality of life.
- Group Therapy: Our therapists work with a group of clients on improving social skills, enhancing coping skills and strengthening communication. This may take place in a traditional sense or using expressive therapies, such as art, music or recreation.
- Medication Management: Each child is assessed by a licensed physician and medication will be prescribed, as needed, and with parental/guardian permission, to best provide for symptomatic improvement.
- Family Education: Our treatment team provides parents/guardians with information and tools that will help them continue supporting their child once they leave our facility. For example, medication management, de-escalation techniques, cool-down procedures and emotion regulation
- Behavioral Education: Our pro-social behavior program is designed to promote responsibility and self-esteem, measure motivation and enhance positive choices.
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Psycho-Educational and Group Activities: Trained behavioral health professionals implement activities such as anger management training, social skills development, empathy training, recreational exercise and much more.
- Learning Labs: Youth participate in a variety of educational activities to help them better understand and strengthen their brains. They learn about the impacts of toxic stress and how to regulate their emotions in difficult situations.
Click here to read a story about one Wichita child we helped — a 9-year-old boy who was struggling with suicidal ideation and other behavioral health challenges.
Community Support Drives Our Impact
At KVC Hospitals, we are incredibly grateful for the support we have received in Kansas and beyond from donors, healthcare partners, organizations, churches, families and many individuals. We have also had the opportunity to host tours for Governor Laura Kelly, state legislators, and dozens of community partners to discuss how we can work together to provide more access to mental health services.
Our goal continues to be to provide high-quality services to the youth we serve to help them lead safe, happy and successful lives in their communities. Please take a few minutes to watch this video from KVC Hospitals Wichita staff and community partners to get an inside look at our treatment center.