Covering eastern Idaho’s ‘uncovered gap’ in teen mental health services
For teens struggling with mental health setbacks, there has historically been an uncovered gap in services for adolescents who may not need an elevated level of inpatient care but who are trying to maintain healthy functioning, while only seeing a professional once a week in an outpatient setting.
Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center has moved to address that gap. Its new intensive outpatient program is designed to support young people dealing with issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, trauma and suicidal ideation that impact their school, relationships, family and/or community.
The program fills the niche for adolescents who need a higher level of care than traditional outpatient therapy, offering a few more hours of support each week to manage their lives.
Teens ages 12-17 attend group therapy several times per week with peers experiencing similar challenges.
Treatment focuses on creating new coping skills to effectively manage stress, anxiety and depression; developing social skills, self-awareness and self-esteem; and building healthy communication and boundaries.