MERIDIAN, Idaho — Cottonwood Creek Behavioral Hospital opened a new outpatient department, Haven, across the street from its current facility last week, responding to growing demand for mental health services in the Treasure Valley.
Ernest Esparza, CEO of Cottonwood Creek Behavioral Hospital, said the expansion was driven by a simple reality at the existing location.
"At our hospital right now, we are at capacity, and so we needed to find additional space," Esparza said.
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Haven offers intensive outpatient care, partial hospitalization programs and virtual services for adolescents, adults and older adults.
Hospital leaders say the expansion comes as they continue seeing more young people needing mental health support — even during times of year when demand has historically eased.
Morgan Van Ry, market development director, said the trend is notable.
"On the inpatient side...we typically see a decline in adolescents during the summertime. Folks are out of school, they're engaging with family, they're traveling...and we have not seen that the past two years," Van Ry said. "So our adolescents inpatients census has remained steady...in fact our unit has been quite full."
For Esparza, the issue is personal. He learned his own daughter struggled with mental health challenges when he found self-harm and suicidal ideation videos being promoted to her on apps like TikTok — an experience that changed his perspective as both a parent and healthcare leader.
"She wasn't alone; she was with friends that were all kind of in this together, and they were almost supporting one another in looking at these apps and becoming dark together, and it was...insane," Esparza said.
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Esparza says social media algorithms are contributing to growing mental health concerns among teens and urged parents to stay engaged.
"Be involved. Be involved with your kid," Esparza said. "Know what they're looking at. Know that you're the parent."
Van Ry says Haven is designed to give patients structured support while allowing them to continue parts of their normal routine, including work and school.
The facility's outpatient programs also provide a bridge for patients being released from inpatient hospitalization before they transition back to weekly therapy.
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"When someone leaves inpatient care is sometimes when they're the most vulnerable, and they need the most support. So a program like a partial hospitalization is great to go from inpatient into stepping down," Van Ry said. "So you're going from 24/7 care to 25 hours a week care...so it's still a stark difference, but it's more than once a week therapy."
Hospital leaders say the goal is to make behavioral healthcare more accessible for patients and families across Boise, Meridian and the surrounding communities.
If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.
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