October 11, 2021
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital awarded $15,000 grant for sensory-friendly play equipment to support youths experiencing behavioral health crises
TACOMA, Wash. – Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, the only Level II Pediatric Trauma Center in Western Washington, received a $15,000 grant from Child’s Play: Grants for Play Projects, to support sensory-friendly experiences for youths experiencing mental health crises.
“Mental illness is a top three cause for medical hospitalization for children between 10 and 18 years old in Pierce County,” said Chris Ladish, PhD, chief clinical officer of pediatric behavioral health at Mary Bridge Children’s and MultiCare Behavioral Health Network. “The incidence of children and adolescents with behavioral health challenges has steeply increased over the past decade, but the pandemic has notably exacerbated the issue.”
Due to limited behavioral health inpatient beds available in the region, children are admitted to Mary Bridge Children’s emergency department and placed under 1:1 surveillance to keep them safe until they can be transferred to an appropriate facility.
Many youths experiencing mental health crises also have secondary cognitive challenges such as autism or sensory processing disorders. When treated in traditional emergency department settings, anxiety often increases for this population, creating additional risks for both patient and hospital staff harm. Admissions for this population can last days and weeks, sometimes even months at a time. Access to tools like sensory-appropriate play equipment reduces levels of patient distress, restraint and isolation.
“The more that we can meet these kids where they’re at — physically, emotionally and cognitively — the better the outcomes are for their overall health and wellness,” said Liz Goodwin, MOT, OTR/L, occupational therapist at Mary Bridge Children’s. “This grant will help us provide a safer environment with appropriate physical and mental stimuli to meet the needs of patients who are dealing with both mental health issues and also sensory-processing sensitivities.”
Mary Bridge Children’s will use the grant to purchase sensory-friendly play equipment such as tactile step-n-stones, rest mats, sensory tiles and a mood light table, texture walls and inflatable ball chambers.
Mary Bridge Children’s was one of six children’s hospitals to receive a grant in the latest round of funding from Child’s Play and is one of only 17 children’s hospitals nationwide to receive this grant in 2021. Child’s Play is a partnership between the Toy Foundation and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) and awards grants to children’s hospitals to make play more accessible to patients.
Mary Bridge Children’s currently has four emergency department beds dedicated to patients in mental health crisis. Its new hospital building, designed just for children, will open in late 2024 and will include additional pediatric behavioral health crisis rooms to meet the needs of this patient population. For more information about the replacement hospital project, visit marybridge.org/our-new-hospital.
About Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1955, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is the state-designated Level II Pediatric Trauma Center for Western Washington, offering comprehensive care and resources for critically ill and injured children, and is the only pediatric hospital in Southwest Washington. Mary Bridge Children’s also provides primary, specialty and urgent care services at its outpatient centers and clinics across the South Sound, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Olympia, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Bonney Lake and Poulsbo.
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network is more than a place for children to heal. It’s a place for them to grow and thrive. A place for families to come for solutions and support. A place where medical expertise and passion for children and families work together in perfect balance. Mary Bridge Children’s serves children and families, regardless of ability to pay, thanks to generous contributions to the Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation.
Mary Bridge Children’s is a part of MultiCare Health System, a community focused, not-for-profit health system based in Tacoma, Wash. For more information about Mary Bridge Children’s, visit marybridge.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or our Kite Strings blog.
Contact: Kalyn Kinomoto
253-403-1736
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