Open House for New Facility to Feature Old Cars
Virginia Treatment Center for Children to invites public to tour and learn about mental health services for children and view antique vehicles
The new Virginia Treatment Center for Children (VTCC) will host an open house on Saturday, October 20, from 10 am to 2 pm. The center is located at 1308 Sherwood Avenue in Richmond, on the Brook Road campus of Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
The event, co-hosted by the Advisory Council of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children, Richmond Ford and the Old Dominion Model A Car Club, will include tours of the facility, refreshments and “100 Years of Ford”— a display of cars representing the history of Ford automobiles.
Opened in April 2018 as part of VCU’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the new building replaces the original VTCC, which had been part of downtown Richmond since the 1950s. VTCC is a comprehensive child/adolescent psychiatric and mental health center providing four critical services:
- In-patient acute care and outpatient clinical care
- Training of postdoctoral specialists in child mental health
- Cutting edge medical research
- Help for families to find the community-based care through the Children’s Mental Health Resource Center
Last year, VTCC provided outpatient mental health services to approximately 8,000 children and adolescents for a wide range of health challenges, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Clinicians also provide support to families managing autism spectrum disorder and gender identity issues.
“One in five Virginia children and teenagers will suffer a mental health illness serious enough to warrant medical response,” says Rachel Reynolds, program manager of VTCC’s Children’s Mental Health Resource Center. “Unfortunately, 80% of these cases likely go untreated. Without strong support, mental illness from youth often continues into adulthood. VTCC is a tangible symbol of the Commonwealth’s commitment to, and public acceptance of, the vital connection between physical health and mental health.”