McCann joins call for youth crisis center

Suicide rates among rural Idaho youth remain some of the highest in the nation and local health officials are hoping to respond to that emergency through a youth crisis center.

The Idaho Region 2 Behavioral Health Board will meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday via Zoom to discuss the issue with Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston and health department officials. The meeting is open to the public.

“There’s nothing for youth in this area and we have high youth suicide rates,” said Jim Rehder of Cottonwood, chairperson of the Region 2 Behavioral Health Board.

“Prisons are full of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders that have been the de facto treatment centers for mental health, and that’s not right,” Rehder said. “So crisis centers are to divert people to a place where they can have care and assessments of what their needs are in an in-patient or out-patient setting.”

Last year Gov. Brad Little recommended and the Idaho Legislature appropriated a supplemental of $4.4 million one-time funding to the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections budget to establish youth crisis centers in collaboration with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

The centers would be similar to the adult models in the state. Youth crisis centers would provide a short-term placement, up to 23 hours and 59 minutes for youth experiencing crisis, such as self-harming, psychosis, suicide and other behavioral health problems. Such centers have been shown to reduce hospitalization, criminal charges, domestic violence, child abuse and the need for residential treatment.

So far, there are four youth crisis centers in Idaho, all in southern and southeastern Idaho.

Joyce Lyons with Public Health - Idaho North Central District, said a group from Region 2 applied for a grant for a youth crisis center last year but did not receive it.

“We had a really good plan,” Lyons said. “We’ll have to reapply, but we had over 50 stakeholders that provided letters of support for our children’s crisis center.… There is a need for a children’s crisis center because there aren’t a lot of places to take children when they’re in crisis. They usually have to be hospitalized and that’s not always necessary.”

One of the proposals, Lyons said, was to house a crisis center at the Northwest Children’s Home in Lewiston.

Rehder said McCann has expressed interest in being involved in trying to move the project forward and has already met with Little to discuss the issue.

“McCann will hear from us — she’s very interested in getting something in Region 2,” Rehder said. “If (children) have troubles in their youth, they’ll have trouble as adults. So early intervention is essential.”

Anyone wishing to access the Zoom conference Thursday may visit: us02web.zoom.us/j/85332921512?pwd=NnNvZzE1emNLeGh3QjY1OEMvNFlyUT09 or the Behavioral Health Board website at: riibhb.idahopublichealth.com

Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.