March 3, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera Health.

In its wake, COVID-19 has left a trail of new and worsened mental health conditions. In response to these and additional growing needs, Avera is ready to open a new four-story wing to its Avera Behavioral Health Center – 60,000 more square feet of space for treating psychiatric needs among children, youth and adults.

“We’ve had capacity limitations in behavioral health for years, and COVID just added to the demand. These are often very sad situations. These can be life-threatening situations because the person may be at risk of self-harm,” said Thomas Otten, assistant vice president for the Avera Behavioral Health Hospital.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust came forward as a funding partner to make this $28 million wing a reality, donating $13 million in grant and matching funding. Approximately 770 other donors joined the cause for a total of more than $22 million in overall philanthropic support.

“The Helmsley Charitable Trust is excited to help fund this transformative new behavioral health wing, which will help Avera better address the psychiatric needs of children, youth and adults,” said Walter Panzirer, a trustee for The Helmsley Charitable Trust. “The Helmsley Behavioral Health Center will serve as a beacon of hope not only for Sioux Falls, but also for a 250-mile radius serving most of South Dakota, northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska and southwest Minnesota.”

This new wing, named the Helmsley Behavioral Health Center, adds services not previously available in Sioux Falls:

24/7 Behavioral Health Urgent Care

Similar to a medical urgent care, this is specifically for people in behavioral health crisis. In addition to an assessment team, this unit is staffed by a registered nurse, behavioral health technician and advanced practice provider around the clock. “For people in crisis, the Behavioral Health Urgent Care is a new ‘front door’ to mental health services,” Otten said.

The goal for Urgent Care is to safely handle the crisis and then refer patients and families to the most appropriate and best level of care. This may mean inpatient admission or referral to outpatient community resources. “We also have behavioral health navigators who can help bridge the time between an Urgent Care visit and a psychiatry or counseling appointment,” Otten added.

This level of care is extremely rare in the region and across the country, Otten added. Behavioral Health Urgent Care is slated to open in late March.

23-hour observation care

This provides a safe place for people to stabilize and work out safety and crisis response plans with the help of nurses and behavioral health techs. After they’ve stabilized, these people can be referred to community-based services.

Residential addiction care for youth

Avera’s adult Addiction Care Center has been open since December 2019. “We’ve had numerous people ask us when we were going to offer this service to youths,” Otten said. Throughout the 28-day stay, addiction counselors work with residents in multiple approaches, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, art and music therapy, life skills and more.

Programming space includes indoor and outdoor recreational space plus video exercise activities like dance and tic-tac-toe. “Showing kids that there are fun and exciting activities that can replace the void left by addiction is important. It’s key to keep them active and engaged,” Otten said.

Both adult and youth addiction care services can be accessed by calling 605-504-2222. The youth Addiction Care Center will begin taking referrals March 14.

Partial hospitalization services for youth

Avera has offered partial hospitalization for adults in the past; this wing allows this level of care to be expanded to include youth. They can spend their nights at home, part of their day in school and part of their day working on the behavioral health condition that is impeding their success in school and in life.

Three specialized units for children and adolescents

The new wing will house Avera’s specialized unit for children. Then in the existing Avera Behavioral Health Hospital, Avera will develop a second unit for adolescents.

“The needs of a 7-year-old, 11-year-old and 17-year-old are all very different. So this new configuration allows us to tailor our care to these different age groups,” Otten said.

The wing also will house Avera’s senior behavioral health unit, which is currently located on the Avera Prince of Peace campus.

This will provide an opportunity to add to the continuity of mental health services while enhancing and expanding this program. In total, Avera Behavioral Health Hospital will have 146 inpatient behavioral health beds plus eight youth addition beds, all private rooms.

Career opportunities

Staffing the new wing is a challenge in these times of workforce shortages. “We have some great opportunities for people who have a heart for working in behavioral health and addiction,” Otten said.

There are positions for nurses and social workers that require specialized credentials. Yet there are also more general positions, like behavioral health techs, which require a four-year degree in human services. “Don’t hesitate to contact our HR department to learn how you might fit in,” Otten said. At times, it’s possible to take a position and then work toward educational requirements in order to move into more specialized roles.

The Avera Behavioral Health Hospital had a goal of hiring 130 people and to date has added 95. “We’re doing well toward our goal and will open new units and beds to the extent we have qualified staff,” Otten said. Many other job openings are listed at AveraJobs.org.

Call 800-691-4336 to learn more about where to start with services from Avera Behavioral Health.