Ypsilanti, Mich. – As rates of serious depression and anxiety rise among Michigan’s youth, a new mental health program at the University of Michigan Health Ypsilanti Health Center aims to fill a critical gap — providing care that goes beyond traditional outpatient services without requiring full hospitalization.
The 7,000 square feet state-of-the-art U-M Health Child and Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program will open this summer.
Backed by a $6.2 million state grant, the new program – which will include dedicated therapy rooms, a light-filled group activity space and an outdoor garden and recreation area – offers intensive therapeutic and educational services to adolescents with depression and anxiety in a day-based setting.
“Our team recognized the critical need for a safe, supportive space where adolescents can receive consistent care for their mental, emotional, and behavioral health,” said Luanne Thomas Ewald, M.H.A., FACHE, chief operating officer at U-M Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.
“This program bridges the gap for young people who don’t require round-the-clock inpatient care but still need the structure and intensity of daily therapeutic services to thrive.”
The program will begin with a group of patients aged 12-17 who will be referred through U-M Health providers, with plans to expand to 24 adolescents.
The new space is designed to feel open, uplifting, and calming, with bright, airy rooms and soothing features like bubble walls that create a welcoming environment.
“Our goal was to move away from a clinical atmosphere and instead create a space that feels natural, community-oriented, and developmentally appropriate for adolescents and teens,” said Nasuh Malas, M.D., M.P.H., division director and service chief for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and associate professor in the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry.
"By combining compassionate clinical care with a structured, safe and healing environment, our goal is meet young people where they are and help them build skills that will set them up for success at home, school and in other parts of their lives.”
A team that includes psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and other clinicians from U-M Health will use evidence-based therapy to address issues such as depression, anxiety and trauma. Leaders plan to eventually also include therapeutic services for obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD.
Adolescents referred to the program will typically participate for two weeks. Each full-day session will offer a structured schedule that includes group and individual therapy, dedicated time with a learning specialist, recreational activities, family meetings, and opportunities to meet with a child psychiatric provider for medication evaluation and management.
Malas notes that the program will also offer trainees who are preparing for careers in mental health the opportunity to learn and practice skills that they can take into the community.
Leading the new program will be U-M Health child and adolescent psychologist Christina Laitner, Ph.D., the program’s clinical director; and child and adolescent psychiatrist Joanna Quigley, M.D. who will serve as medical director.
“What sets our program apart is the ability to spend focused, meaningful time with each child,” Laitner said. “It gives us the chance to really understand their needs and tailor our support to set them up for long-term success.”
She added, “Because participants return home at the end of each day, they’re able to immediately apply what they’re learning in real-world settings, which is an essential part of building lasting change.”
The program is designed to support young people during a critical period, including after a crisis or as they transition from inpatient care back to home and school, Quigley says.
“A tremendous amount of collaboration across multiple disciplines went into creating a space that truly supports healing and growth,” Quigley said. “We were intentional in making this a top-tier therapeutic environment to help ensure the best outcomes for these kids.”
The partial hospitalization program was featured as part of the U-M Health Ypsilanti Health Center grand opening in downtown Ypsilanti. The new 50,000 square feet, five-floor facility will house a wide range of adult and pediatric services, including family medicine, geriatrics, urology, behavioral health, cardiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, endocrinology, and women’s health, among others.
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Dr. Joanna Quigley and Dr. Christina Laitner recently joined Michigan Medicine's The Wrap podcast to discuss this new program and facility. Check out the conversation via YouTube or find an audio-only version here.
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