YNHHS leaders helped cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Children’s Crisis Intervention Center in Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Department.
On July 21, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital unveiled its new Children’s Crisis Intervention Center, a dedicated behavioral health treatment space within the Children’s Emergency Department.
The newly renovated Center provides a calm environment where patients up to age 15 can receive rapid evaluation, stabilization and connection to ongoing services 24/7. A team of physicians, nurses, social workers and milieu counselors trained in pediatric behavioral health treat children experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, depression, anxiety, substance misuse and other mental health crises.
“Today marks an important step forward for children and families across Connecticut,” said Pamela Sutton-Wallace, acting CEO, Yale New Haven Health. “The need for timely, accessible behavioral health services has never been greater, and far too many young people in crisis continue to face barriers to getting the care they need when they need it. This new Children’s Crisis Intervention Center reflects what is possible when we work together with a shared purpose: ensuring that every child has access to the right care, at the right time and in the right setting.”
The Center incorporates the Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing (EMPATH) model, which provides a specialized, therapeutic approach for patients experiencing behavioral health emergencies.
Beth Heinz, senior vice president, Women’s and Children’s Services, Yale New Haven Hospital, noted that traditional emergency departments are designed to deliver rapid stabilization. For children experiencing behavioral health challenges, that can sometimes intensify distress rather than relieve it.
“When we think about caring for children in crisis, we must ask not only what care we provide, but how we provide it,” Heinz said. “The EMPATH model represents a transformative approach, providing a calm, healing environment centered on dignity, compassion and recovery.”
Katherine Heilpern, MD, president, Yale New Haven Hospital, said the Center addresses a growing need for pediatric behavioral health services.
“When a child is in crisis, families need more than a place to go,” said Dr. Heilpern. “They need reassurance, expertise and compassionate care that meets them where they are and helps them take crucial next steps toward recovery. The need for behavioral health support is critical, and this Center was created to help stabilize crises, support families and connect young people to the care they need to heal, grow and thrive.”
The Children’s Crisis Intervention Center was made possible through support from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Timken Foundation, which funded the Center’s group therapy room.
