Inland Northwest Behavioral Health reports adolescent bed expansion and launches Branches outpatient tracks

Jamie Valdez, business development representative for Inland Northwest Behavioral Health, and Emily Brower, community liaison for Branches Spokane, spoke to the Spokane Regional Crisis Collaborative on Dec. 18 about inpatient and outpatient services following the closure of a different pediatric crisis center at Sacred Heart.

Valdez said the hospital raised its adolescent acceptance age from 13 to 12, and that inpatient adolescent capacity is normally 25 beds with the ability to expand to 27; two weeks earlier the hospital had 27 adolescents in care. Valdez said the facility is a 100‑bed hospital overall with a census of 77 on the day of the presentation and that about 20 beds were occupied by adolescents.

Brower described Branches Spokane, an intensive outpatient program that uses dialectical behavior therapy, operates three days a week for three hours per session, and typically runs about 90 days depending on patient progress and insurance. She said the adolescent track serves ages 12 through 17 and is scheduled after school so participants are not pulled from classes; the program can operate in hybrid form with remote participation when needed. Brower said Branches also offers medication management for clients discharging from inpatient care and SED‑focused tracks for higher needs patients.

Valdez and Brower encouraged providers to connect with the hospital’s social work team for discharge planning; they offered to share a general contact line and direct contacts to bridge gaps for outlying counties.

Both presenters invited one‑on‑one conversations, tours and follow‑up contact to coordinate care and to share resources with referring agencies.