Children’s of Alabama Expands Inpatient Behavioral Health Services

Birmingham, Ala.  (Jan. 9, 2025) — Children’s of Alabama announces the expansion of its Inpatient Behavioral Health Services.  The center will open 11 additional beds this month to help meet the community’s increasing need for child and adolescent mental health care.  

“With this addition, we will be able to meet the needs of patients who can actively participate in the therapy-focused milieu,” says Bonnie Moore, Director of Nursing at the Behavioral Health Inpatient Center. “This unit will ensure a supportive environment for these patients to begin to heal, grow, and develop coping strategies. By providing this space, we will empower these patients to understand their emotions, develop coping skills, and set a foundation for lifelong mental and emotional health.”

This new 11-bed unit will focus on evidence-based dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), informed skills, and behavioral interventions primarily for patients 12 to 18 years of age. Patient and family involvement will be an important aspect of the program. The unit is designed to support the patient’s ability to implement and practice skills throughout their admission, with ongoing coaching from therapists, nurses, and support staff.

In the last 10 years, Children’s has expanded its behavioral health program to include a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services and community training/resources including:

• Inpatient Care Expansion
• Outpatient Services at Patriot Park, Birmingham
• Dedicated Space in the Emergency Department
• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
• Pediatric Intake Response Center (PIRC)
• Statewide PATHS Program with Primary Care and In-school Settings

In 2024, 43% of behavioral health patients who presented in the Children’s Emergency Department waited more than six hours for an available bed in the Children’s inpatient unit. There were 1,405 more behavioral health visits in the Children’s Emergency Department in 2024 than in 2018. The number of patients admitted to the inpatient behavioral health unit increased by 15% between 2018 and 2024. This expansion aims to decrease wait times and increase capacity for inpatient care.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation 2022 Kids Count Data Book, the percentage of children in America ages 3 to 17 who had anxiety or depression increased by 25.5% between 2016 and 2022. Much of the growth is attributable to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.