Individual and intensive group therapy services provide needed outpatient alternative to inpatient hospitalization in the region
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Ballad Health is expanding access to behavioral health in the Appalachian Highlands with new and expanded outpatient services that will serve children, adolescents and adults with complex behavioral health needs.
Ballad Health physicians, team members and community leaders gathered on Thursday, Feb. 22, to cut the ribbon for the new Behavioral Health Child and Adolescent Outpatient Services clinic at 701 Med Tech Parkway in Johnson City. This new clinic will provide care for the specific needs of children and teens with complex behavioral health needs. The clinic is part of the Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network and provide outpatient mental healthcare for kids 6 to 18 years of age and will provide intensive outpatient programs for children 9 years and older.
Ballad Health has also relocated its Behavioral Health Adult Outpatient Services clinic to a new location in the same building and has expanded its services to include intensive outpatient programming for patients 18 and older. The adult clinic will continue to grow its operations by caring for its existing patients, accepting new patients and offering intensive outpatient programs through focused group therapy sessions and other treatment plans.
“We shouldn’t be waiting for a crisis to occur before we provide behavioral health treatment,” said Anthony Keck, executive vice president for system innovation and chief population health officer for Ballad Health. “Too often, children and adults in crisis end up in the emergency department, or suspended from school or in jail. Nationwide, we’ve been failing our education and law enforcement partners by not providing enough outpatient alternatives. These services are another step in Ballad Health’s ongoing commitment to address this problem locally.”
The state-of-the-art facility is designed with patient safety and comfort in mind and will offer intensive programming for patients challenged by traditional settings. Treatment includes evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing services, acceptance and commitment therapy, and family therapy to help with symptom management and goal setting.
The new children’s clinic will provide care for the specific needs of children and teens with complex behavioral health needs. Meanwhile, the Behavioral Health Adult Outpatient Services clinic has relocated and has expanded its services to include intensive outpatient programming for patients 18 and older.
“Adding intensive outpatient programs as an option for treatment is a pathway for prompt access to care,” said Tammy Albright, chief executive officer for Ballad Health’s behavioral health services. “Every patient requires different approaches to mental healthcare, and implementing intensive outpatient programs provides a flexible and effective treatment plan while ensuring tailored support for improved mental health.”
Each patient will have access to a licensed and dedicated care team that will work with them and their families to develop goals.
“It’s very exciting to broaden the scope of behavioral health services available to children and adolescents in the Appalachian Highlands,” said Zachary Gamble, MD, medical director of the new clinic and a fellowship-trained, board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. “Sometimes, behavioral health needs extend beyond what can be offered with traditional outpatient services, and our services are geared specifically toward helping children who need extra support and giving them the tools they need to be successful.
“Our clinic’s team of experienced nurse practitioners, therapists and psychiatrists will meet our patients where they are and help them develop the coping skills they need to build a brighter future. The clinic will also serve as a source of support for local pediatricians and other primary care physicians looking for behavioral health supports for their pediatric and adult patients.”
The Child and Adolescent Outpatient Services clinic is part of the Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network, a regional system of pediatric care that establishes a high standard of healthcare and well-being for children across the Appalachian Highlands. The network was established to ensure every child and family has access to high-quality, compassionate healthcare for stronger foundations and better lives.
“Ballad Health Behavioral Health Child and Adolescent Outpatient Services is an inspiring addition to the services provided by the Niswonger Children’s Network, and we are ecstatic about the opportunities this facility will offer for families in our region,” said Chris Jett, chief executive officer of the Niswonger Children’s Network. “The network is proud to offer much-needed behavioral health services to the children and families in our region as we take another step forward to ensuring every child has access to the care they need, close to home, regardless of their needs.”
Both the adult and the child and adolescent clinics will begin seeing patients on Monday, Feb. 26, at 701 Med Tech Parkway. Child and adolescent patients will be seen in Suite 200, and adult patients will be seen in Suite 201. Both clinics are open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. For patients in need of services after office hours, Ballad Health’s Woodridge Hospital 24/7 Walk-in Clinic works to connect patients to the right level of care, regardless of their ability to pay or their choice of provider.
To learn more or schedule an appointment online, visit www.balladhealth.org/medical-services/behavioral-health-mental-health or call 423-302-3480.
