Golisano Behavioral Health Center: 5 Years of Revolutionizing Youth Mental Health Care

Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — Five years after opening, the Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness Center is still eyeing an expansion to accommodate the demand for youth mental health services.

BACKGROUND: URMC taking unprecedented steps amid spike in demand for youth mental health services

Robert Baleno said his son, Morrigan, has faced struggles from a young age.

"Morgan was 7 years old the first time that he planned to take his own life in second grade," Baleno said. "Which is — that was tough."

Today, Morrigan is 16 years old, and thriving — thanks in part to services he received at the Golisano Behavioral Health and Wellness Center.

"Without this place, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say I'm not sure Morrigan would be here to do this interview today," Baleno said.

Morrigan has been navigating his mental health challenges and receiving treatment through several inpatient and outpatient visits.

"I met so many cool people," said Morrigan. "I became really close with a lot of people. For kind of the first time, I was ever that close to people."

The Baleno's shared their story Thursday to a packed lobby at the South Avenue headquarters as leaders celebrated five years of service.

"We opened this building in 2020 in the middle of lockdown with the pandemic," said Dr. Michael Sharf, psychiatrist in chief at Golisano Children's Hospital. "We have actually, at this point, decreased the number of children presenting to emergency rooms with psychiatric problems, while it has continued to increase in the rest of the country."

The center averages more than 100 referrals for new cases per week, according to leaders. Bearing those numbers in mind, doctors are looking ahead to a possible expansion during the next five years.

"If we think back, children were undergoing unprecedented stress, from losses to the shutting down of their extracurricular activities, and interruptions in key relationships," Sharf added. "We're continuing to see the effects of the pandemic on children and families' mental health today."

"Slowly, more and more of the patients and families that we saw were able to come in person and take advantage of the beautiful facility," added Dr. Linda Alpert-Gillis, ambulatory chief for Child Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and Wellness.

Alpert-Gillis said the center aims to reduce barriers to youth mental health services.

"I would say the vast majority of families looking for services want to come in-person," Alpert-Gillis said. "That has been very striking over the last few years, is that the percentage of families that want to be seen in person is almost 100% except for those families that live further away."

Morrigan hopes other children will be able to receive the same help he did.

"I know coming here, it was like this breath of fresh air where so many of the people here were a lot like me, and I could, I could talk to them," he said.

Just last year, URMC opened the region's first walk-in mental health urgent care center for kids.

MORE: URMC opening region's first walk-in mental health urgent care center for kids in July

There is also a mental health crisis call line open 24/7, accessible by calling (585) 275-8686.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call the National Crisis Hotline at 988.

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