Omaha, Nebraska – In the wake of a near-tragic event where a young teenager attempted suicide, medical personnel at Children’s Hospital provided prompt emergency care. However, they faced a grim challenge – the lack of nearby mental health facilities capable of offering the intensive psychiatric care needed for such a case. As a result, the adolescent was compelled to seek assistance from a facility located hours away from his home, according to Chanda Chacón, CEO of Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.
Chacón pointed out that this situation is an ordeal for families who frequently are unable to accompany their children to distant states for medical assistance. However, this scenario is expected to change with the forthcoming establishment of the $110 million Behavioral Health & Wellness Center at the Children’s Hospital campus at 84th Street and West Dodge Road.
Friday marked the official groundbreaking of the pediatric mental health center, which will offer 38 in-patient beds, significantly expanding the capacity in the area. The same day saw the unveiling of the initial architectural renderings of this four-story structure, covering 107,250-square-foot, slated to begin operations in early 2026.
The center will offer a range of services including an “experiential” kitchen for children and families grappling with eating disorders, extensive space for general outpatient therapy, and a unique regional crisis screening and stabilization assessment hub. As suicide and related mental health problems have surged, particularly since the onset of the pandemic, this facility, constructed west of the main hospital on a seven-acre site, aims to meet what the organizers describe as an “urgent” need.
Partial funding for the center comes from federal money assigned by the Nebraska Legislature, providing a continuum of services, medical care, and follow-up mental health services co-located at the same campus. “Just imagine the improved access to care for families,” Chacón emphasized.
Ken Stinson, president of the Mental Health Innovation Foundation, addressed the crowd at the event, raising concerns about the “sobering trend” and “alarming” increase in youth suicides, partly attributed to the proliferation of social media. The COVID-19 pandemic, leading to social isolation and anxiety, has further worsened the situation, as per Stinson’s commentary.
Supporting his observations, he cited statistics from the Children’s Hospital Association and Centers for Disease Control, which show a considerable rise in mental health-related emergency room visits, self-injury and suicide attempts among children and teenagers. Suicide emerged as the second leading cause of death among youths aged 10 to 14 in 2021. He also referenced an advisory issued by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, spotlighting a public health crisis due to loneliness, isolation, and a lack of social connection nationwide.
Also underscoring the urgent need for mental health services, Tom Warren, Chief of Staff for Mayor Jean Stothert, cited statistics from the Omaha Police Department, highlighting the growing number of emergency calls related to mental health crises.
The groundbreaking event was attended by city council members, senators, and representatives from various educational institutions. As proposed, the center will be constructed on the site of the recently demolished Nebraska Methodist College, with Kiewit Building Group and HDR serving as partners in the project. Additional funding will be provided by Children’s Hospital and private donors, with the hospital operating the center and hiring more mental health care practitioners.
The center has set its sights on nurturing relationships with partners to develop the necessary workforce, including educational institutions. “We’re confident that this facility will help us attract the best and the brightest to Omaha to be part of that compassionate connected community we all see here today,” Chacón said.
Officials from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development acknowledged Ken Stinson’s longstanding focus on mental health. Alongside Rhonda Hawks and other associates, Stinson has previously helped raise funds for Omaha’s Lasting Hope Recovery Center, established in 2008.
CEO Chacón highlighted the alarming rise in youth mental health issues and suicide attempts and asserted that the new center is essential to addressing the current demand. The necessity for this facility, she stressed, “cannot come soon enough.”
