Mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in youth can cause long-term problems that may affect the health and well-being of children, families, and communities. Treating a child’s mental health needs as soon as possible can help reduce problems at home and school and help with healthy development into adulthood.
Located at The University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC), Kobacker Center has been dedicated to addressing the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and their families for the past 40 years. Their skilled psychiatry staff specializes in treating youth with severe emotional and behavioral needs with treatment plans available on both an outpatient basis as well as at inpatient units.
Children’s Mental Health in Crisis
The increased demand for mental health help for adolescents is one of the biggest changes seen by team members at the Kobacker Center. According to Caylie Bell, MD and Child Fellow at Kobacker Center, more children than ever are struggling with mental illness, with a recent study showing that nearly 20 percent of the youth population has a mental health disorder.
Some common child and adolescent psychiatry conditions that are evaluated and treated at Kobacker Center include anxiety, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and conduct disorders. The staff also helps treat youth with depression, learning disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-injury, sleep disorders, stress, suicidal ideation, gender dysphoria, and many other conditions.
Treatment at Kobacker Center
Kobacker Center has many highly skilled psychiatrists, nurses, and support staff who specialize in helping children with serious emotional and behavioral needs, as well as their families. The team provides comprehensive evaluations and makes recommendations for treatment. Treatment plans may include individual and family therapy, group therapy, play therapy, parental guidance, and more. While counseling and medication management can often help youth with their mental health diagnosis, there are also more intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization programs available. The most robust treatment is provided at the inpatient unit where patients may stay from three to six nights.
“We try to make interventions specialized, as every youth has their own unique challenges and is raised and exposed to a different environment,” said Dr. Tanvir Singh, Kobacker Center Medical Director. “We always need to recognize the importance of continuity of care. In current practices to help kids, we should not only focus on the weaknesses and problems. The best mental health treatment programs provide a platform for the healthy development of all aspects of youth personality and help with resilience development. Our social work team at UTMC does a great job in ensuring a patient’s treatment is ongoing after their stay with us.”
Learn More or Schedule an Appointment
These are challenging times for children, and the staff at the Kobacker Center at UTMC take great pride in being a provider of choice to help youth and adolescents get the help they need when they need it. To learn more about the services offered at Kobacker Center or to set up an appointment call 419.383.5695.
