The Buckeye Ranch has gotten some support from Google to open a new youth mental health center in Grove City.
The Buckeye Ranch is a private nonprofit with six central and southwest Ohio locations that provide emotional, behavioral and mental health services for children and families. It supports more than 2,000 youth locally.
It announced last week that Google will grant $250,000 to the organization to support the center, which it plans to open in 2025.
The new project comes as experts have been noting for years that young people need more access to mental health care than is available.
When U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy visited Columbus in October, he described youth mental health as “the defining challenge of our country.”
“Expanding access to mental health services is key for the next generation to thrive and succeed,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Columbus, in a statement.“This partnership between Google and the Buckeye Ranch will help bolster youth mental health treatment across central Ohio at a time when it’s needed most.”
In Ohio, suicides among residents 19 and younger spiked from 90 in 2016 to a high of 135 in 2018, marking a 45% increase, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health. After 2018, suicide among Ohio youth declined until 2020, when numbers began to rise again.
More on youth mental health:Is suicide on the rise among Ohio kids? Here’s what parents need to know
The 57,000-square-foot center include 48 beds for children who are leaving the hospital before they return home. The Google money will help expand clinical support for young people in residential treatment who have both mental health diagnoses and substance use, according to The Buckeye Ranch.
“Helping a youth live a quality life despite their mental health needs helps all of us,” The Buckeye Ranch President and CEO Vickie Thompson-Sandy said in a statement. “A recent study revealed that 50% of parents have missed work due to their children’s mental health needs. Investing in our youths’ mental health today is an investment in our community for years to come.”
Google has given more than $5 million in grants to Ohio organizations since 2006, with its employees locally giving another $1 million.
“We are focused on being the best community partner in our home state of Ohio,” said MJ Henshaw, of Google Public Affairs, in a statement. “Google is committed to the long-term growth of communities in Ohio. Not only do we support future tech innovators, but we know increasing access to mental health resources has a significant short and long-term positive impact on the next generation.”
dking@dispatch.com
@DanaeKing
