On October 1, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System launched an 11-bed inpatient Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit for ages 12 to 17 at the Mary Black Campus of Spartanburg Medical Center. This facility marks the county's first dedicated inpatient mental health unit for teenagers and will extend its services to residents of Cherokee and Union counties.
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Kevin Matson, president of Spartanburg Medical Center, emphasized the importance of local care, stating that keeping children close to their families facilitates the recovery process. Geographical distance can complicate visits, which are crucial for addressing family issues that often contribute to a teen’s mental health crisis, noted Dr. John Mauch, medical director of inpatient behavioral health services.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 71 percent of U.S. counties lack a child and adolescent psychiatrist, with only about 12,000 available for 74 million children under the age of 18. Spartanburg Medical Center is now home to two psychiatrists—one assigned to the new unit and the other to the emergency department, where they will evaluate which children require hospitalization.
Dr. Mauch identified three primary reasons for inpatient care: a high risk of self-harm, a high risk of harm to others, and significant disconnection from reality that could lead to accidental harm.
Typical hospital stays range from five to seven days, with a maximum of ten days, and are structured around group therapy to reduce feelings of isolation. The unit features design elements aimed at safety and visibility, including large windows for staff oversight and single rooms equipped with dry-erase walls for creative expression and supportive messages.
The establishment of the unit stems from a 2023 initiative involving over 75 community leaders from healthcare, nonprofits, and philanthropy, who aimed to address a growing mental health crisis in the county. This initiative, which later became public as Vital Spartanburg in June, focuses on substance abuse, crisis stabilization, and mental health for children and families. The planning and construction of the unit took approximately 18 months. Matson highlighted the unit's role as vital to adolescent care, emphasizing that while it addresses immediate needs, a significant amount of mental health care should ideally occur outside hospital settings.