Wir überwinden Grenzen

Demand has increased due to the pandemic / Expansion by twelve day clinic treatment places / Further expansion is planned

On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, Day Clinic 2 of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg was officially opened. Patients have been treated here since mid-May. With twelve therapy places, this represents the urgently needed expansion of services for children and adolescents in South Baden. Funding was provided by the state of Baden-Württemberg, the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and various supporters.

"I am very pleased that today - at our joint insistence - we are able to expand our services with twelve additional day clinic treatment places for children and adolescents," says Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz, Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. However, further rapid expansion of treatment places is urgently needed. "Seriously ill children and adolescents with psychiatric treatment needs currently have to wait several months for a treatment place," Wenz continues.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, there were not enough treatment places for the care region under the responsibility of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. Children and adolescents were particularly affected by the stress caused by the pandemic and demand increased.

In the second quarter of 2021, 27% more emergency patients were admitted to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg than in the same period of the previous year. During this period, almost 70 percent of emergency patients had to be treated on the wards instead of the usual 40 percent.

A task force convened by the state of Baden-Württemberg, together with the funding bodies, finally approved 120 new day clinic places for children and adolescents for the entire state.

Setting up the day clinic in record time

In a record time of less than a year, the medical concept, application and approval by the state as well as the conversion and equipping of the day clinic were completed. "The intensive and constructive cooperation of all relevant decision-making bodies at the University Hospital and externally made the rapid implementation of the state contract possible," says Prof. Dr. Christian Fleischhaker, Acting Medical Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. However, he also made it clear: "In the long term, we need a structural expansion of the child and adolescent psychiatry department in Hauptstrasse with a second day clinic with special treatment focuses, such as children and adolescents with mental illness and simultaneous neuronal developmental disorders or cognitive impairments. For these patients, there are currently only similar treatment options in the region around Stuttgart and Lake Constance."

Advantages of a day clinic

The general advantage of a day clinic is that children can remain in their familiar environment as much as possible while intensive therapy can take place. For many of the patients, structures can be created close to home that make it easier for them to receive the support they need in their familiar everyday environment. They receive help and therapies that enable them to develop optimally according to their individual abilities.

In addition to the often necessary medication, which in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry often has to be put together individually over many weeks, and the daily therapeutic measures, important steps are taken in the child's everyday environment.

A network of physicians, therapists, social workers, youth welfare organizations, schools and families are coordinated with the child's normal everyday life in the day clinic context, necessary help and measures are discussed in help plan meetings and initiated in an age-specific and needs-oriented manner.

Image 1: Day clinic 2 is now officially open: (from left to right): Anja Simon, Commercial Director of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Christian Wylegalla, Nursing Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Prof. Dr. Christian Fleischhaker, Comm. Medical Director Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, and Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz, Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.

Image 2: Music therapy takes place in one of the light-flooded rooms. Many of the high-quality instruments could be financed thanks to generous donations.

Image source: Medical Center - University of Freiburg

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Christian Fleischhaker
Comm. Medical Director
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Medical Center - University of Freiburg
Phone: 0761 270-65550
Christian.fleischhaker@uniklinik-freiburg.de