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Poland residents Ed and Chris Muransky donated $1 million to Akron Children's to expand and strengthen its behavioral health services for children and adolescents throughout the Mahoning Valley, the healthcare system announced this week.
In a news release, Akron Children's said the gift comes at a time when behavioral health needs among children and adolescents continue to grow. In the Mahoning Valley alone, Akron Children's recorded more than 15,000 behavioral health outpatient visits last year. Depression also contributed to more than 1,300 emergency department visits in the region.
The donation will support the Mahoning Valley Behavioral Health Initiative, a five-year effort to improve access to mental healthcare, expand innovative treatment programs and strengthen the network of services available to children and families across 10 Mahoning Valley locations and care settings.
"We've always felt that behavioral health is an area of children's healthcare that doesn't get the attention it deserves," said Chris Muransky. "If a child has cancer, everyone recognizes how devastating that is. But a child struggling with severe depression or contemplating suicide is just as much at risk.
"There shouldn't be a stigma or shame associated with that. These children need help just as much as children facing physical illnesses," she added. "When behavioral health needs go untreated in childhood, they can carry into adulthood and create even greater challenges."
A key component in Akron Children's approach is TABBICAT (Triage, Assessment, Brief Behavioral Interventions, Care Coordination, Tracking), an evidence-based method that integrates behavioral health services into primary care. The model connects children identified with behavioral health concerns to embedded therapists and care coordinators who help families navigate treatment and access the appropriate level of care.
This approach has significantly improved access. Successful referrals to behavioral health providers increased from 55.8% to 87.4% following implementation. Today, 85% of referred patients are seen within a couple of weeks, compared with just 10% before the model was introduced.
Philanthropic support will continue to help fund behavioral healthcare coordinators throughout the Mahoning Valley and psychiatric consultation for primary care providers, services that are not fully covered by insurance.
The Muranskys' gift also will support Sonar Mental Health, a 24/7 chat-based support platform connecting young people ages 8 to 18 with trained wellbeing coaches, as well