OGDENSBURG — Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Foundation received a $100,000 donation from the CHMC Auxiliary for the construction of the Children’s Mental Health Unit at CHMC.

“Inpatient psychiatry services for children and adolescents is a growing need in the North Country.

At Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, when we see a child or adolescent in the Emergency Department who requires more than outpatient care, we are forced to wait for an open space in one of the few hospitals in the state who offer inpatient children’s mental health,” said Randy Fipps CHMC Administrator of System Integration and Behavioral Health. “The creation of this unit is vital to the health and wellness of the youth in our community. We are so grateful for this gift of support.”

The inpatient unit is designed to meet the developmental and psychiatric needs of children and adolescents who require more than outpatient mental health services. Having a facility in St. Lawrence County means more children who need help can get it closer to home and family: with more than 900 youth (children and adolescents) presenting in the CHMC Emergency Department with mental health challenges each year, this is a necessary service for the community.

This 12-bed unit will accommodate youth diagnosed with pediatric psychiatric disorders and will staff healthcare professionals trained to work in the field.