TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa's only 24/7 youth crisis evaluation center is officially open as the entire county continues to battle a mental health crisis.
YES (Youth Evaluation Services) Tulsa offers expanded crisis services to children and their families as it looks to lift the burden off of emergency rooms and law enforcement.
"As a parent, certainly now versus when I grew up, they don't get to leave or get a break," said Samantha Knowlton, mother of a teenage boy. "There is social media following them everywhere."
Knowlton said her son is happy and healthy, but in the counseling and recovery industry she sees firsthand what other parents go through at times with their children. She said now more than ever depression and anxiety are becoming more prominent in younger people.
"Knowing that there is a place like this in Tulsa calms me a little bit because if my child was having, whether it be a panic attack or just wasn't acting themselves for a week, I would immediately think to take them to the ER," Knowlton said.
YES Tulsa provides 24/7 care for children ages 5 to 17. The goal for this new facility is to provide a safe haven with the proper tools and coping mechanisms which also helps alleviate pressure on Tulsa's emergency rooms and law enforcement.
"Most emergency rooms and departments or inpatient facilities are really overwhelmed, and they don't know how to intervene because they don't have enough well-trained personnel or staff to be able to take care of and handle the situations," said
YES Tulsa Program Director Solmaz Bulut.
A child's family member or caregiver walks through the facility's program with staff. YES Tulsa uses a family model of care and is equipped with a trundle bed so that parents can stay overnight with their children if they have to.
The center is state-funded and operated by Counseling and Recovery Services of Oklahoma.
"If the families have insurance, we are able to use but if they don't have any insurance, we are able to serve them free services," Bulut.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health,the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides help and resources to anyone in need 24/7.
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