The behavioral health crisis facing America’s youth has reached alarming proportions, with recent Centers for Disease Control data showing 40% of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, while 20% seriously considered suicide. As the largest stand-alone behavioral health care provider in the U.S., Acadia Healthcare and its network of affiliates operate over 260 facilities across nearly 40 states and Puerto Rico to help address these challenges through comprehensive treatment approaches.
The Youth Mental Health Crisis in America
The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report for 2013-2023 highlighted concerning trends in adolescent mental health. In addition to widespread feelings of sadness and suicidal ideation, 9% of high school students reported attempting suicide at least once in 2023, with the report noting that figure is trending in the wrong direction. The report also reveals significant disparities, with female students and LGBTQ+ youth experiencing disproportionately higher rates of mental health challenges, a concern that Acadia Healthcare continues to address through its youth-focused treatment programs.
This crisis exists within a broader context of insufficient access to care. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 50 million Americans experience behavioral health issues, yet fewer than half of adults with behavioral health disorders access timely care.
A Continuum of Age-Appropriate Care at Acadia Healthcare
Acadia Healthcare and its network of affiliates’ approach to treating youth and adolescents recognizes that mental health disorders can show distinct patterns based on developmental milestones and age groups. The network provides multiple levels of care tailored to the specific needs of young people ages 5 to 17.
The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare notes that residential treatment is essential for children and teens facing serious risks, including self-harm or potential harm to others, or struggling with severe behavioral challenges. Acadia’s affiliated residential treatment facilities offer therapeutically planned behavioral health interventions designed for a clinically appropriate group living and active learning environment
Acadia’s affiliated facilities provide age-appropriate treatment levels that may include:
- Inpatient treatment: Short-term intensive care for those experiencing severe symptoms requiring immediate stabilization.
- Residential treatment centers: Longer-term care in supportive environments where adolescents receive round-the-clock care.
- Partial hospitalization programs: Also known as day treatment, providing several hours of care multiple days per week.
- Intensive outpatient programming: Typically three hours of treatment about three days weekly, offering flexibility while providing continued therapeutic support.
Science-Based Therapies and Customized Support
Acadia Healthcare and its network of affiliated facilities employ evidence-based therapeutic approaches to address the unique needs of youth and adolescents. Treatment modalities may include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, play therapy, trauma-informed care, and the Nurtured Heart Approach, a plan centered around the belief that a youth’s big, intense feelings can be positively channeled into a positive force.
The treatment teams at Acadia’s affiliated facilities typically include multidisciplinary professionals such as psychiatrists, registered nurses, social workers, and recreational therapists. This collaborative approach is designed to provide care addressing a range of mental health disorders and addiction issues.
Educational services represent another component of Acadia’s youth treatment programs. As the NABH notes, “Residential treatment settings provide education services tailored to address the needs of children and adolescents with more serious behavioral health conditions. Most of these children and adolescents have struggled in regular school settings and would not be able to succeed without the support these centers provide.”
Acadia Healthcare and its affiliates may coordinate with education departments and schools to ensure youth stay on track academically during treatment.
How Acadia Healthcare Supports Families Throughout the Treatment Journey?
When a young person struggles with behavioral health issues, the entire family is affected. Through its Children’s Behavioral Solutions team, Acadia Healthcare and its network of affiliates may provide free services to connect families with appropriate treatment options for youth experiencing behavioral health crises.
The CBS team, which serves youth aged 6 through 21, offers support by:
- Helping families understand available levels of care and treatment options.
- Acting as a single point of contact throughout the referral and admissions processes.
- Gathering necessary documentation and verifying insurance benefits.
- Maintaining contact with families throughout treatment.
- Providing support after discharge.
Beyond its general treatment services, Acadia has developed specialized programs to address the needs of specific vulnerable youth populations. One example is Acadia’s partnership with The Jason Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing youth suicide. Through this collaboration, The Jason Foundation has established community resource centers within Acadia’s treatment facilities nationwide, offering educational materials and programming for staff, patients, families, and communities.
Expanding Access to Critical Care
With approximately 75,000 additional behavioral health beds required nationally to meet optimal levels, Acadia Healthcare and its network have undertaken significant expansion efforts. In 2024 alone, affiliated facilities constructed approximately 1,300 new beds, with about 800 licensed by the end of 2024.
Building momentum into 2025, the network added 378 beds during the first quarter alone, with plans to construct 800-1,000 additional beds throughout the year. The first quarter expansion included 90 beds added to existing facilities and 288 beds from newly opened facilities, such as a de novo facility in Northport, Florida. The network also expanded its outpatient services, adding seven new comprehensive treatment centers to reach 170 centers across 33 states.
Recent facility openings include West Pines Behavioral Health in Westminster, Colorado; Coachella Valley Behavioral Health in Indio, California; Agave Ridge Behavioral Health in Mesa, Arizona; and joint venture hospitals with premier health systems.
Dear Readers, I’m Salman Khayam, the writer and founder of this blog, dedicated to bringing you valuable insights across a variety of topics. From dental and mental health to personal development, beauty, skincare, hair care, nutrition, fitness, and exercise, my goal is to empower and inspire through well-researched, engaging content.