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The basics:

• Carrier Clinic opens $40M expansion focused on youth mental health care
• New 43,000-square-foot facility adds 52 inpatient beds
• Treatment age lowered from 12 to 7 years old
• Project includes family support spaces, sensory rooms, education center

Hackensack Meridian Health is transforming rising awareness and concern regarding youth mental health into action.

Carrier Clinic, part of the HMH network, celebrated the opening of a $40 million expansion June 5. The larger footprint will advance treatment for children and adolescents at the Montgomery behavioral health system.

The campus’s new 43,000-square-foot facility adds 52 beds. It also lowers the age of treatment from 12 to 7 years old. Hackensack Meridian Health said the growth in Somerset County will dramatically expand crucial care options for children and their families.

Beyond the added inpatient beds, the system also debuted:

• The Cohen Community Resource & Education Center
• Treatment models such as multi-sensory rooms
• A teaching center

Additionally, it features a medical staff suite. In that way, the project addresses a dual concern by expanding capacity to teach physicians and other mental health professionals.

“Even though the number of children and adolescents with mental health issues is increasing significantly, more than half do not receive adequate treatment,” said Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert Garrett. “This project underscores our commitment to prioritizing child and adolescent mental health as a cornerstone of transforming health care.

“Thanks to the grants we received from our legislators, along with private donations and the generosity of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, today’s opening of the Carrier Clinic expansion shows the power of partnership in turning vision into reality and creating new pathways to hope for young people and their families.”

‘The right care at the right time’

The expansion at Carrier Clinic continues a concerted effort to expand mental health services – for both adults and adolescents – across the system.

The project broke ground in 2024. Funding came from state appropriations and private donations. State Sen. Andrew Zwicker and Assemblyman Roy Freiman, both Democrats representing the 16th District, sponsored resolutions to secure $10 million in state funds for the project. Then-Gov. Phil Murphy approved the measures.

The new Carrier Clinic facility allows for specialized, focused care in a setting design for prompt diagnosis and treatment, according to HMH.

Commented Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic President and Chief Hospital Executive Rohit Mahajan, “We are seeing firsthand the growing need for youth mental health services and this new space strengthens our ability to provide coordinated, high-quality care, ensuring they receive the right care at the right time in a setting designed for healing.”

HMH cited data indicating nearly 1 in 3 young people between the ages 12 and 17 experienced a mental, emotional, development or behavioral problem from 2022–2023. In recent years, Hackensack Meridian said Carrier Clinic has experienced a nearly 30% increase in the number of youths admitted for treatment. That includes mental illness, substance abuse, or both.

Beyond supporting patients, the bigger space also allows for more robust family support. The expansion includes dedicated space for caregiver meetings, along with guidance on how to support children.

This new space enables us to deliver care that is evidence-based and conscious of the experience and needs of those in treatment.
—Dr. Thomas Ricart, chief of adolescent services, Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic

Dr. Thomas Ricart is chief of adolescent services at Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic. He said the expansion takes inspiration from Carrier Clinic’s bucolic Somerset County surroundings.

“[B]ringing in natural light and being oriented towards the Sourland Mountains,” Ricart noted. “It has sensory diverse spaces, including dedicated sensory rooms, a gym, and multiple group rooms to provide a range of activities. This new space enables us to deliver care that is evidence-based and conscious of the experience and needs of those in treatment.”

Defining moments

President for Specialty Hospitals and Clinical Services Regina Foley called the youth mental health crisis one of the defining public health challenges of a generation. Carrier Clinic is approaching the issue from multiple fronts.

“We are not just adding beds; we are building a forward-thinking, comprehensive ecosystem of care that broadens our ability to provide more of the nuanced, in-depth treatment we long have given to our youngest and most vulnerable patients,” she explained. “When a child is diagnosed early and provided top-quality care, they acquire the coping skills and confidence to carry them through life’s many challenges through adulthood.”

According to HMH, current youth-focused services at Carrier Clinic include:

• An inpatient acute hospital unit
• An intensive residential services program
• A residential treatment center
• Psychiatric community homes

Beyond traditional treatment models, the campus also offers equine-assisted, art, music and horticultural therapy.