WellStone crisis facility opens its doors, serving adolescents in Huntsville without long-distance travel.
By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Since opening in September 2024, Madison County’s first inpatient pediatric mental health facility, operated by WellStone, has provided care to over 300 adolescents in crisis—meaning many families no longer face long-distance bed searches.
The launch came in response to alarming local data: nearly 800 children were being transported out of the county each year—half to Morgan County, and the other half scattered across the state and beyond.
“One parent said: ‘I felt helpless as a mother,’” recalled Karen Peterson, Director of Development at WellStone. “But when she walked into our center, she ‘immediately started crying’ … because she knew expert help was nearby”.
The facility initially opened with four beds but has since expanded to 16, with capacity to grow to 24 if needed. It accepts Medicaid, private insurance, and provides sliding-scale fees—ensuring no child is turned away.
Peterson stressed the facility’s mission: “We just want everyone to know that we’re here for them. They aren’t alone … we will welcome them with open arms and stabilize them as quickly as possible”.
Teens, ranging from 12 to 18 years old, receive comprehensive care, including individual therapy, group sessions, educational support, and recreational time. The most common diagnoses are depression and anxiety, though cases of substance use and acute psychiatric symptoms are also treated.
Parents report dramatic improvements. Brooke Bell said her teen daughter returned “feeling refreshed” and with better coping strategies following the two-day inpatient stay. Bell’s testimonial perfectly captures the purpose behind the facility’s creation.
By addressing immediate psychiatric needs locally, WellStone is dismantling barriers of time, distance, and trauma that plagued families before.
Why It Matters
Teens previously waited hours—or even days—in emergency rooms or traveled as far as Mobile or Tennessee for inpatient care.
The pediatric center’s expansion marks a crucial response to the national youth mental health crisis and ensures timely access to care.
With ongoing growth, WellStone is signaling its readiness to meet sustained demand, anchoring adolescent mental health resources in Huntsville.
“I think it is more common in children than people realize,” Peterson noted, emphasizing the urgency—but also the relief—that local care provides families in moments of crisis.