2025 Annual Report

CHILDREN’S EXPANDS INPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

“With this addition, we are able to meet the needs of patients who can actively participate in the therapy-focused milieu.”

In February 2025, Children’s of Alabama announced the expansion of its Inpatient Behavioral Health Services. The center opened 11 additional beds to help meet the community’s increasing need for child and adolescent mental health care. “With this addition, we are able to meet the needs of patients who can actively participate in the therapy-focused milieu,” said Bonnie Moore, Director of Nursing at the Behavioral Health Inpatient Center. “This unit ensures a supportive environment for these patients to begin to heal, grow, and develop coping strategies. By providing this space, we empower these patients to understand their emotions, develop coping skills, and set a foundation for lifelong mental and emotional health.” This new 11-bed unit focuses on evidence-based dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), informed skills, and behavioral interventions primarily for patients 12 to 18 years of age. Patient and family involvement is an important aspect of the program. The unit is designed to support the patient’s ability to implement and practice skills throughout their admission, with ongoing coaching from therapists, nurses, and support staff.

BONNIE MOORE, BSN, RN

2025 vs. 2024

+ 7 % increase in behavioral health ED visits

+ 45 % increase in behavioral health admissions

– 35 % decrease in the average time to an available bed

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2025 ACADEMIC ANNUAL REPORT