«Support and Love»: Vive Adolescent Care removes stigmas by supporting Washington County youth

Vive Adolescent Care facility in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Vive Adolescent Care, St. George News

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT When you see a climbing wall, full gym, comfy bed, and delicious food, you might not think of a mental hospital, but this is the safe space Vive Adolescent Care has created for local teenagers. With the goal of raising awareness and removing the stigma of mental disorders, their dedicated team is working hard to help the youth of Washington County.

I think a lot of parents have a stigma when they hear about mental hospital,” said director of marketing Carter Hogan. They come here, and it’s nothing like they imagined. Breaking the stigma about what a mental hospital can be is what we’re about. doing.

As a hospital, Adolescent Care Vive is helping the community by providing emergent hospital stabilization for adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis. They also have the goal is to educate parents and others who work with teens to see warning signs, which will in turn enable teens to get help sooner.

In addition to emergent stabilization, Vive Adolescent Care also provides extended hospital care by combining medical and treatment providers, case managers and recreational therapists for multiple levels of care tailored to each individual. Executive Administrator Danielle Squires said this means patients and their families no longer have to visit multiple locations to receive the same mix of care.

While many parents think that an emergency room visit is the only option during a time of crisis, Vive Adolescent Care wants the community to know that they are not just an additional resource, but a hospital.

People can come directly to us in a mental health crisis, and that’s something we want everyone to know, Squires said. We support and love ER here and are really great partners, but you can also come direct to us for a place that also provides extended care.

He said statistics show that after an emergency room visit related to suicidal ideation or a mental health crisis, the patient’s chance of continuing to commit suicide increases by about 300% because patients in crisis need more time , Andessentially emphasizing the treatment gap between the initial emergency room visit and transfer to a long-term care facility.

Vive Adolescent Care was started three years ago by a psychiatric service provider, a licensed social worker and a marketing professional in hopes of close that treatment gap.

They felt that there must be something between those two… a place where children can stabilize and receive extended care in one continuous environment then move home in a safer way, Squires said.

The average length of stay at Vive Adolescent Care is 21 days and that stay includes the provider themselves and therapists who walk them through various levels of stabilization. They also help get teenagers safely back into the community. The entire team includes psychiatric service providers, licensed clinical social workers, therapists and recreational therapists, physical education coaches, activity directors, and 24/7 nursing care.

While readmission rates for the same level of care in other places average 49%, Squires said Vive Adolescent Care averages around 14% and is something they’re excited about.

Our mission is to help them leave wanting to love life again, she added, because so many of them make it to their lowest. All of our staff have that commitment underlined and I think it’s made a huge difference. The team working collaboratively and the relationships that are built in a short space of time have really driven our results.

In fact, we just reached a major milestone of 1,000 children helped here at Vive. There’s a lot of work to do moving forward, but it’s a great start.

An important thing for the founders of Vive Adolescent Care was convenience for clients and their families. With this in mind, the program was created to be insurance based. Over the past 12 months, the clearance rate for insurance providers has risen to 99%, which greatly helps make mental health care more accessible to families.

Those interested in learning about Vive Adolescent Care can complete a free five-minute online assessment, call the facility directly, or walk into the facility at any time, even during a mental health crisis.

Written by JESSI BANG for St. George News.

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Resources

• Cure for Teens Lives | Address: 120 W. 1470 South, St. George | Phone: 435-703-6470 or 435-669-4106 | Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm | Website.

Mental health resources

If you or someone you know is in danger from suicidal thoughts or actions, call 911 immediately. Suicide is an emergency that requires the help of qualified medical professionals and should always be treated seriously.

Nationwide suicide hotline 988, 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) AND 1-800-273-TALK (8255)have counselors available 24/7. Southwest Behavioral Health Center also offers help to Southern Utah residents; call 800-574-6763 OR 435-634-5600.

Other resources include Suicide.orgTHE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the American Suicidology Association. All provide comprehensive information and help on the issue of suicide, from prevention to treatment to loss management.

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