Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Care
When a child is in psychiatric crisis, with thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or behavior that puts them or others at risk, the acute inpatient program provides immediate safety and stabilization.
It is for children and adolescents ages 5 to 17 who need intensive psychiatric care right away.
Safety comes first. From the moment your child arrives, our team focuses on stabilization: constant supervision, a calm and structured environment, and immediate psychiatric evaluation. Once your child is stable, the work shifts to understanding what led to the crisis and what needs to change.
Care comes from the hospital’s full multidisciplinary team: psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, licensed therapists, registered nurses, and behavioral health staff. An acute stay typically includes medication evaluation, individual and group therapy, family involvement, and around-the-clock nursing care.
Acute stays are short by design. The goal is to stabilize the crisis, then connect your child and family to the right ongoing care, whether that’s our standard inpatient program, outpatient therapy, or community-based services closer to home.
The Walk-In Clinic is open 24/7 for psychiatric assessments, no appointment necessary. Call the Children’s Hospital at (270) 689-6800.
What to Expect
Everything starts at our 24/7 Walk-In Clinic. A trained provider will assess your child and determine whether acute inpatient care is needed. If it is, admission can happen right away, and our team will walk you through what to bring and what happens next.
You’ll be kept informed and involved throughout the stay. Before discharge, the team builds a safety plan and an aftercare plan with you, including follow-up appointments and connections to ongoing support.
Other Children’s Hospital Services
Inpatient Services
Inpatient psychiatric care for children and teens ages 5 to 17 at our 80-bed Owensboro hospital, with an on-site school, family therapy and discharge planning.
Individual Group Family Therapy
Individual, group and family therapy for every child in the hospital, using TF-CBT, EMDR and DBT, with parents and caregivers part of the plan.
Specialized Therapeutic Activities
Art, music, movement, games and recreation, built into every child’s daily schedule as part of treatment.
Medication Evaluation Management
Medication evaluation and management by child and adolescent psychiatrists, with parents in on every decision and daily monitoring during the stay.
Nursing Care Crisis Support
Registered nurses and behavioral health associates on the unit 24 hours a day, handling medications, health needs and de-escalation.
Behavioral Intervention Services
Behavior support planning led by a board-certified behavior analyst: find what a behavior is for, teach a better way to get the same thing, and coach the family on it.
Specialized Therapies
The STATE Program for autism spectrum disorder, the BIRCH long-term program for boys 12 to 17, and TF-CBT, EMDR and DBT across the hospital.
