University of Maryland Children's Hospital in Baltimore has opened a 16-bed psychiatric unit for children and teens experiencing acute mental health crises.
The unit is the first in the state to incorporate both architectural and clinical design elements to provide "trauma-informed" care for patients ages 5-17, the hospital said June 30.
The 14,000-square-foot facility avoids the more institutional look of traditional psychiatric units by featuring soothing colors, curved walls and secluded areas where staff can conduct meetings, documentation or other tasks away from children's view, reports The Baltimore Sun.
The facility cost $9.6 million to build and will replace the hospital's previous psych unit, which contained 10 beds and only offered inpatient care for kids ages 5-12, a spokesperson told the publication.
The new unit comes as children's hospitals nationwide grapple with rising rates of mental health issues among children.
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