2024 Children's of Alabama/UAB Annual Report

“ “The PHP is designed to prevent or reduce the length of an inpatient stay. So the IOP is a natural progression to our efforts to reduce the time we’re removing a child from a home environment and helping them meet their goals in the least disruptive, least traumatic way possible.”

– Lauren Byrd, MS, LPC

In 2021 and 2022, The PHP served about 100 adolescents, most of whom were coping with depression with suicidal ideation, Byrd says. About 140 such patients accessed the program in 2023, and referrals continue to increase those numbers.

community resources for patients and families that help adolescents build a comprehensive support network to enhance treatment outcomes. “The PHP is designed to prevent or reduce the length of an inpatient stay,” Byrd said. “So the IOP is a natural progression to our efforts to reduce the time we’re removing a child from a

“Both the PHP and IOP have been really sorely needed for some time in our area for adolescents

with mental health issues,” Byrd said. “Combine that with the pandemic—which was really a traumatic experience for a lot of youth in Alabama—and the need has only increased. If a silver lining could exist, the

home environment and helping them meet their goals in the least disruptive, least traumatic way possible.” are involved in the programming as well, including weekly sessions and education. “We’ll

Family members

pandemic did a lot to help us address the stigma of mental health, and it helped more people feel empowered to access care who maybe wouldn’t have.” The IOP, which opened in August 2024, serves adolescents ages 12 to 18 and runs three hours a day, three days a week—a deliberate step back from the PHP’s five-day, six-hours-daily structure. The less-frequent, less-intensive schedule is its main distinction from the PHP. But both programs have the same staff support, including psychiatrists, nurses and other mental health clinicians, Byrd says. The IOP also coordinates a variety of

discuss treatment planning goals with the family and help them however they may need,” Byrd explained. “Usually, that looks like building better communication and helping them understand how things are going to be after discharge.” “The best outcome would be that we continue to grow,” she added. “We want to expand our services and help more kids in the community while providing the same high-quality care we’ve been proud of.”

2024 Academic Annual Report

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