Inpatient Adolescent Behavioral Health at Tacoma General Hospital

About one in five teens has a mental health condition, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Adolescent Behavioral Health at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital is the first and only inpatient program in Pierce County designed to help teens facing a mental health crisis.

We provide care for teens 13 to 17 who are experiencing severe mental health concerns, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Psychosis
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder

We accept patients for voluntary, involuntary and family-initiated treatment. A referral is required.

Our 27-bed hospital unit is a modern, inviting space with private rooms and open social areas. It also includes state-of-the-art safety features to protect patients and staff. The unit is designed for brief stays of seven to 10 days.

We aim to transfer teens to ongoing outpatient therapy as soon as possible. Our goals during hospitalization are to:

• Keep teens safe during a time of crisis and prevent suicide or harm to others
• Stabilize teens by preventing symptoms from worsening and reducing the risk of suicide, or other potentially lethal behavior, so they can participate in outpatient therapy
• Initiate or adjust medication regimen and rule out other medical problems
• Create a safety plan and connect teen and family with community resources
• Provide teens the opportunity to learn coping skills

Take a virtual tour of our adolescent inpatient unit by watching this video.

Our treatment program is based on trauma-informed care and recovery principles. This approach empowers teens to play an active role in their behavioral health stabilization.

Treatment plans may include:

• Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and treatment
• Medication review and management
• Multidisciplinary treatment interventions, including nursing assessments
• Psychosocial assessment and discharge planning
• Care coordination
• Group therapy, such as dialectical behavior therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, creative arts therapy or recreation therapy
• Milieu therapy, which uses a safe, structured environment to encourage healthier ways of thinking, behaving and interacting with others
• Family psychoeducation and support groups

Our collaborative team includes a medical director, a psychologist, psychiatrists, psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs), registered nurses, social workers and other pediatric and mental health professionals. Working together, we create a treatment plan tailored to each teen’s diagnosis and needs.

While receiving care in our unit, each teen meets individually with their psychiatrist or psychiatric ARNP daily. Patients have individual mental health assessments with a nurse twice a day.

Once teens are ready to leave the unit, our care team works with families and outpatient providers to put a safety plan in place. The team will help you, as a parent or caregiver, understand the treatment your teen received during their stay and give you the tools to support them in practicing the skills they developed.

We’ll initiate follow-up appointments with outpatient providers prior to your teen’s discharge and help coordinate ongoing care.