EDMONTON, Sept. 28, 2016 /CNW/ - CASA Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health officially opened its $24 million children's mental health facility in South Edmonton today. This new building replaces CASA's 60 year old facility.
"This is an exciting next chapter in CASA's ability to help provide much needed mental health services for children in Edmonton and across Central and Northern Alberta. This new building allows us to enrich our services, so we can continue to meet the mental health and addiction needs of families and children in a more welcoming environment that is specifically designed for this purpose."
CASA and CASA Foundation CEO, Dr. Denise Milne
CASA began the planning for a purpose-built facility based on trauma-informed principles over 10 years ago. The Alberta Government recognized the importance of early intervention and treatment for children with mental health concerns and made a commitment of $17 million dollars for construction of a new facility. The design and construction of this facility cost $24 million and has been completed on time and on budget.
CASA is close to reaching its goal of raising the remaining $7 million needed to complete this project.
CASA Centre is a unique facility designed specifically for the mental health treatment of children and their families. The facility was designed to ensure children and adolescents struggling with mental health disorders receive the same compassion, understanding and quality of care as children suffering with other life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer and cardiovascular illness. CASA Centre includes design elements that augment and enhance treatment:
- The resource room provides the latest evidence and information on mental health to be available to our families, staff and community.
- Based on sensory research, coloured LED panels and "bubble wall" create a calming and welcoming effect for our children and families.
- Art therapy and the music therapy rooms will assist our children and youth to explore their talents and express their emotions in creative and innovative ways.
- The new children's playground is based on a trauma-informed approach to having fun, learning and playing.
- The cultural room is available and is a quiet and soothing environment for all cultures.
Dr. Milne announced today, a new partnership for the creation of the CASA Research Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with the Department of Psychiatry University of Alberta; Institute of Health Economics; Palix Foundation's Alberta Family Wellness Initiative; Alberta Health; Edmonton Public School Board; the Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research, the Women and Children's Health Research Institute and; the University of Calgary (Faculty of Social Work). Department of Psychiatry will recruit and identify a full time child psychiatrist/clinician scientist to be the holder of this CASA Research Chair. Working with all partners, CASA will take the lead to establish the chair program, which will be located at CASA Centre.
CASA provides treatment for infants, children, and youth with mental health and addictions disorders in the Edmonton area, as well as in central and northern Alberta. Over 4,000 children and families are served each year. CASA has been a leader and a strong advocate for children's mental health in the community for over 25 years.
More information about CASA Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health can be found at http://www.casaservices.org/
SOURCE CASA
contact Denise Milne, CASA and CASA Foundation CEO, at 780-400-4500 or [email protected].
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