OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — A new space has been made with the goal to give older kids a new start.
It's called "Imagine," the first-of-its-kind space for Omaha that brings a new option for kids with mental health challenges aged 12-17.
The space fills a gap between inpatient care and more typical therapy services that address kids' mental health.
It's run by Northpoint, which runs inpatient programs across the country. They've had success in other locations comparable to Omaha and want to see the same here.
The facility will provide different kinds of spaces meant to address kids' needs.
Young people will be in the program for six hours a day, five days a week.
"That really kind of addresses kind of their intense emotional and behavioral needs," said Mark Jones, vice president at Northpoint.
The facility will also address possible learning pitfalls, and offer resources for middle and high school students.
"If we need to work on credit recovery, GED prep we can meet them wherever they're at," said Roycelyn Morse outreach director at Northpoint.
Staff anticipates a learning curve of their own, as they observe how kids' needs change once school's out.
"We're also kind of curious to see what happens in the summer months when regular schools aren't in session," Morse said. "Are we going to have a higher response?
Navigating these potential challenges and expanding this service will be how they plan to better address kids' needs.
"Our job is to arm them with skills to handle their distress, handle their emotional reactions and be able to basically build healthy relationships with others," Jones said.
The "Imagine" facility is located at 8710 Frederick St., it will start accepting patients on March 6.
Staff is accepting assessments for kids in the program currently and more information can be found on its website.
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