BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
Idaho will soon have two new kinds of centers that will provide services and resources for youth.
One new type of center will be the Youth Behavioral Health Community Crisis Centers (YBHCCC), which will “provide young people with a safe place to get help if they are having suicidal thoughts or [are] struggling with issues like drug abuse or domestic violence,” according to a press release from the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections.
“Many young people who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis eventually end up hospitalized or incarcerated, and those are expensive and sometimes ineffective options,” said IDJC Director Monty Prow in the release. “By making it easier and faster for youth to get help, these centers will create opportunities for better outcomes at far less cost to taxpayers.”
The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare are working together to fund the development of these crisis centers “around the state,” the release said.
The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections has just begun soliciting applications for grant funding for the centers, so it is too early to say how many there will be and where they will be located, said Jeff Ray, public information officer for the department.
Youth will be able to stay at the centers for 24 hours and will be connected with behavioral health specialists who can de-escalate the crisis and “connect them with community-based resources in just a matter of hours,” the release said.
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said, “in addition to reducing hospitalization and incarceration, youth crisis centers have been shown to reduce domestic violence, child abuse and out-of-home placements.”
The Idaho Behavioral Health Council recommended that the state work to establish such centers, the release said. Gov. Brad Little adopted the council’s recommendation as part of his Leading Idaho plan. Part of that plan directed an additional $50 million toward the development behavioral health resources in the state. It also established a one-time $4.42 million general fund to support the development of YBHCCCs, the release said.
Youth assessment centers
The other new type of center will be youth assessment centers, which are “designed to provide their communities with a single point of contact to divert youth from the juvenile justice and child welfare systems,” according to an additional press release from the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections.
At the centers, young people will be screened, and their families directed to community providers that offer case management, the release said.
“By identifying what kind of help these kids need at an earlier age, we can create better outcomes at less cost to taxpayers,” Prow said.
The state will be establishing eight youth assessment centers in each of the state’s seven judicial districts, the release said. The centers will be funded through a $6.5 million Safe Teen Assessment Center grant, the release said.
Every center will be operating by June 30, 2023, the release said.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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