DES MOINES, Iowa — A new children's mental health resource is coming to Polk County.
The Crisis Stabilization Center will be somewhere children can go when experiencing a mental health crisis instead of a hospital.
The 24/7 center will be located on Easterseals Iowa grounds and provide services in partnership with Polk County.
Tony Raymer, the director for brain health at Easterseals Iowa said this will be the first facility of its kind in the county. It will be staffed with therapists to help teach children how to manage their emotions over the long run.
"Whether that's how they regulate their emotions, how they solve problems together as a family and how they resolve crisis together as a family," Raymer said.
The center will be able to hold 12 kids at once.
Raymer said it will greatly benefit local kids, especially as they're dealing with the effects of COVID-19.
"We know that we've had a 40 percent increase in emergency department visits for kids during the pandemic," Raymer said. "We've seen significantly increased suicidal thoughts, self-harm among teens, over the last year."
The CEO of Easterseals Iowa, Sherri Nielsen, said she's happy the the organization is able to help provide this service.
She said an important characteristic of the center is families get to be involved and learn more about what their child is going through.
"Families will have the opportunities to visit with other people who had similar experiences as them, and learn about their journey and their path, and also be able to connect and have that connectivity," Nelson said.
The center is set to open September 1.