A new facility will provide more options for children with mental health needs and developmental disabilities in Syracuse.
SUNY Upstate President Mantosh Dewan, MD, said the new biobehavioral health unit in Syracuse is the first of its kind in New York state and one of less than a dozen in the country.
"Our children need this, and as an academic medical university, it is Upstate's duty and ambition, as is clear from our track record, to provide the highest level of care right here in our community,” said Dewan.
Henry Roane, PhD, is the executive director of the Golisano Center for Special Needs. He said the new 11-bed facility is designed for children and teens with developmental disabilities and mental health needs who are at risk of harming themselves or others. The biobehavioral unit will allow one-on-one therapy for about six weeks.
"We've built out a lot of multi-sensory rooms that allow us to really work on the types of things that children with autism need to succeed in therapy and the kinds of things they enjoy doing," said Roane.
Roane said local families used to have to drive five or more hours for this type of care, but staying close to home could be critical to a patient’s well-being.
"Knowing just the environment, a city you've been to before, all of those things just lessens the burdens emotionally on the families,” Roane said. “It's really, really important to make it as feasible as possible for the families to be involved because that's where the ultimate care begins."
