Mental health hospital expands, offers new services for teens and children

April 05--MASON -- Lindner Center of HOPE, a mental health hospital and outpatient center, opens in May its newest specialized treatment program for children and teenagers.

The Warren County health center is starting a 16-bed inpatient diagnostic and intensive treatment program for young people ages 11 to 17. Services are for patients with mental illness, eating disorders, addiction, or a combination of health issues who are not responding to standard treatment. It's for children and teenagers with their first break of mental illness after they've been stabilized, or who've been struggling to manage it, said Jennifer Pierson, spokeswoman for Lindner Center.

The minimum stay at the still-to-open unit is 21 days overnight, Pierson said. After that, patients receive additional weeks of more intensive treatment and therapy, and learn coping and other skills. Depending on their treatment plan, patients past the first 21 days could continue to receive services as an inpatient, as an outpatient by regular appointment, through partial hospitalization visiting daily, and/or referral to other providers.

"For this unit, we're anticipating we'll get referrals from all over the country," Pierson said.

For more information about the residential adolescent program, call 513-536-0537.

Meanwhile, construction of a 15,816-square-foot building expansion is near completion to accommodate Lindner Center's growing services. Along with starting the new teen treatment program, Lindner Center's existing residential treatment program for adults is moving to updated space in the new building addition.

Sibcy House, as the adult program is called, is a 16-bed intensive diagnostics program. It offers a 10-day diagnostic assessment or 28-day combination diagnostic and treatment program for adults suffering from mental illness, addiction, or both.

With the move, Sibcy House will have its own entrance, but is still connected to the main building on the hospital campus. Patient rooms are larger and new treatment areas are designed to be flexible for different therapies.

The unit vacated by Sibcy House is being occupied by the adolescent program. Sibcy House will move into its new space at the beginning of May, Pierson said.

On May 1, Lindner Center publicly launches a capital campaign to raise $15 million to help pay for its building expansion, other building and technology improvements, new programs, and to grow the hospital's endowment. To date, approximately $9 million has been raised.

The nonprofit mental health hospital is a joint venture of Lindner Family Foundation and Cincinnati hospital system UC Health. Lindner Center, at 4075 Old Western Row Road opened in 2008.

Lindner Center experts treat depression and bipolar, eating, anxiety, and compulsive disorders, among other mental illnesses. It has a 48-bed hospital inpatient unit for the most severe cases. The facility also boasts a clinical research center, brain imaging center for research and diagnostic purposes, and non-drug neuromodulation treatment services -- magnetic pulses and electric shocks -- for people with major depression and other severe illnesses.

___

(c)2014 the Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio)

Visit the Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio) at www.journal-news.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services