A new behavioral health center for children and adolescents — the first of its kind on the East End — is set to open in Riverhead next month.
South Oaks Hospital, part of the Northwell Health system, celebrated the opening of the new facility at 877 East Main Street during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. The behavioral health center will offer individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy and medication management among its services, according to a Northwell Health press release.
The facility will begin to accept patients June 1, Northwell officials said.
“The need for child and adolescent behavioral health services in eastern Suffolk County is urgent,” South Oaks Hospital President Michael Scarpelli said in a statement. “Families in Riverhead and nearby communities have faced significant barriers in accessing care.”
“Our new [partial hospitalization program] fills a major gap — there is no similar program within a 45-minute drive, giving families a much-needed local option for intensive services that can prevent emergency room visits or inpatient admissions,” Scarpelli said. “In addition, the [partial hospitalization program] provides integrated educational services that ensure youth receiving care don’t lose ground in their studies.”
According to Suffolk County, the closest partial hospitalization and day treatment programs for children are in Amityville and Dix Hills; the nearest for adolescents ages 12 to 17 is in Port Jefferson.
The $5 million facility includes five group rooms and 21 offices, with space for further expansion, according to the press release.
Inpatient programs are designed for children (ages 5 to 11) and adolescents (ages 12 to 17) who are experiencing symptoms of serious behavioral and/or emotional illness, according to the South Oaks Hospital website. According to Northwell, the center has clinicians specializing in dialectical behavior therapy; cognitive behavioral therapy; trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy; parent and child interactive therapy; play therapy; acceptance and commitment therapy; and behavior modification.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
