Emergency rooms in Connecticut are being redesigned to better meet the needs of patients experiencing mental health crises. The traditional emergency room environment, with its bright lighting and beeping machines, can exacerbate anxiety and agitation in these patients.

EmPATH Units

Griffin Health in Derby, Stamford Hospital, and Yale New Haven Hospital are among the hospitals introducing specialized units, known as EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing) units, to provide a more calming and welcoming environment for patients in crisis. These units are staffed with behavioral health specialists who work to stabilize patients and connect them to outpatient mental health services.

The EmPATH unit at Griffin Health is a 12-person unit that fully opened in January and has seen a significant increase in patients arriving in psychiatric crises, with a 50% rise since 2019. The unit aims to provide a therapeutic environment that changes the trajectory of care for these patients.

Pediatric Behavioral Health Units

Stamford Hospital and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital have also opened specialized behavioral health units for children and adolescents. These units will provide a safe and supportive environment for young people in crisis, with the goal of stabilizing them and connecting them to services.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 40% of high school students in the U.S. reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the 12 months prior to 2023, and one in five reported seriously considering attempting suicide. The new units aim to address this growing need for mental health services among children and adolescents.

Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.