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New Children and Youth Crisis Wellness Center opens in south Memphis, leaders say
Summary
Dr. Kirsten Hall told a Memphis City Council committee the Alliance Health Care Children and Youth Crisis Wellness Center opened June 1 with 15 stabilization beds for ages 4–17, accepts patients 24/7 regardless of insurance, and offers short‑term stays and a month of follow‑up. Council members pressed on funding, capacity and referral routes.
Dr. Kirsten Hall, director of the Children and Youth Crisis Wellness Center at Alliance Health Care Services, told a June 23 Memphis City Council committee that the center opened June 1 at 602 Malcolm Street in the Bing Hampton community and is fully operational.
The center, Hall said, is a trauma‑informed crisis stabilization unit that serves children and adolescents ages 4 to 17. It has 15 stabilization beds, operates 24 hours a day and typically provides three‑ to five‑day stays focused on short‑term stabilization and connection to follow‑up services. "Children really do deserve a space that is designed and built especially for them," Hall said in presenting the program to council members.
Hall emphasized access and family involvement. She said the center provides age‑tailored group, individual and family therapy, performs an initial crisis assessment that includes an ACEs screening, and follows up with families for one month after discharge to help link them to ongoing care. She also gave council members printed materials and two public contact numbers and reminded them that callers in a suicidal crisis can dial 988 to be transferred to the region’s response system.
Most notably for access, Hall said the center does not require insurance for admission and that no child will be turned away for inability to pay. At launch the center accepted specific plans including BlueCare‑Tara Select, UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint, and Hall said a mix of public and private donors supports the operation.
Council members asked operational questions about payment for uninsured patients and surge capacity if the facility exceeds 15 patients. Councilman Warren asked whether the center helps families enroll in insurance and how cases without coverage are funded; Hall replied MLGW?public and private donors help at launch and the center assists caregivers with enrollments when appropriate. On capacity, Hall said patients who need longer care are referred to other facilities and that the short‑term model has produced steady throughput so far.
Several council members welcomed the addition. Councilwoman Logan, who said the issue was “near and dear” to her, described repeated experiences of young children taken to adult emergency rooms and said the center addresses a longstanding local gap.
The committee did not take formal action on the presentation. Hall asked council members to help spread the word to schools, counselors and families about the new service.
Ending: The center’s availability and no‑insurance policy were the chief takeaways from the presentation; council members sought details about funding mixes, referral pathways and how the center will work with existing emergency and longer‑term care providers.
