Eaton Rapids Medical Center: Improving Teen Mental Health
Improving wellness throughout the community leads to better patient outcomes and is a key focus of hospitals across Michigan. Rural hospitals tend to be integrated with many community organizations and groups, leaving them as a natural driver of community wellness programs. One such example can be found in Eaton Rapids and the role Eaton Rapids Medical Center (ERMC) has played in the creation of the Eaton Rapids Teen Center to address teen mental health.
“Adolescents that are more depressed are at risk of potentially not completing school, developing more severe health challenges, and of not performing up to their full potential,” said Anne Barna, planning and health promotion manager, Barry-Eaton District Health Department. “Those rates are increasing. One of the focus areas for the Eaton Rapids Health Alliances is particularly on adolescence mental health.”
ERMC, a member in the Eaton Rapids Health Alliance, joined the City of Eaton Rapids, Hamlin Township and Eaton Rapids Township, along with several other organizations to create the Eaton Rapids Area Teen Initiative that ultimately established a teen center for 6th – 12th grade students.
“We started it because we saw a need in the community,” said Jo Ballard, co-founder of the Eaton Rapids Teen Center. “The support we’ve gotten from the hospital was invaluable in helping us get started.”
“The Eaton Rapids Medical Center was one of the first ones we contacted,” said David Ballard, Jo’s husband and co-founder of the Eaton Rapids Teen Center. “One of the areas the hospital helped us out in the very beginning was they were the ones who enabled us to get the 501(c)(3) non-profit status. But also, if we need advice as far as dietary or counseling, they bring in a wide range of support services that teens need.”
“One of the big things for us is teen mental health and understanding that people need support. People need to know that they’re okay and that (the Teen Center) is an okay place to be,” said Aron Dubois, executive director of the Eaton Rapids Teen Center.
“We see between 25 – 35 (teens) most days,” said Dubois. “Our peak has been 45. Not every (teen) is enrolled in an activity like a sport or a play. Having a group to belong to, having a social circle that you’re comfortable to spend time in, and having that place to be active and engaged can make a huge difference.”
Although it may be too early to quantify the health impact that the Teen Center is having, community members are already seeing progress being made.
“We’re definitely seeing more conversation in the community about teen mental health and we’re starting to build awareness,” said Barna. “That’s just the first step. Our hope is that can lead to better outcomes in the future.”
“I have two teens that use the Teen Center after school,” said William Watts, an Eaton Rapids resident. “Dante’s confidence has gone up because he’s socializing more. My other son, Donovan, he learned how to build his own computer. That’s what I like about the place; they just instill the kids believing in themselves.”
“The neat things that I see when I’m here at the Teen Center is how in the first year, some of the kids who came in the beginning, how they’ve changed,” said David Ballard. “They feel like they have a home here. It’s just uplifting, it’s heart-warming, it’s really neat to see it.”
For more information, visit the Eaton Rapids Teen Center Facebook page.
