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Carson Tahoe Health
Across the country, communities are seeing an alarming rise in youth mental health challenges. At Carson Tahoe Health, youth mental health has become impossible to ignore.
During a recent interview on Nevada Newsmakers, Kitty McKay, Vice President of Community & Patient Experience at Carson Tahoe Health, shared a heartbreaking statistic. It has helped shape the organization’s commitment to expanding behavioral health services.
“Our pediatric medical beds were starting to get filled with kids as young as six who were suicidal.”
For Carson Tahoe Health, this wasn’t simply a healthcare trend. It was a call to action.
Watch Kitty McKay’s interview on Nevada Newsmakers
Meeting Kids Where They Are
As more children and families sought emergency care for mental health crises, Carson Tahoe Health recognized that lasting solutions would require more than treatment after a crisis occurs.
The organization has invested in expanding behavioral health services while building programs that reach children earlier, before challenges escalate into emergencies. Through partnerships with schools, community organizations, and local leaders, Carson Tahoe is helping create more opportunities for education, prevention, and early intervention.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, especially during childhood when support can have a lifelong impact.
Expanding Support Beyond Hospital Walls
Carson Tahoe Health’s commitment extends far beyond its campuses.
Initiatives like Healing Our Kids and Community and the Vehicles of Change program bring behavioral health education, creative expression, mentorship, and wellness resources directly into neighborhoods, schools, and community gathering spaces throughout Northern Nevada.
These mobile outreach programs are designed to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations about mental health. They also connect young people and families with resources before they reach a point of crisis.
By bringing services into the community, Carson Tahoe Health is making support more accessible for children and families who may not otherwise receive it.
A Community Responsibility
Addressing youth mental health requires more than healthcare providers. It takes families, educators, nonprofits, businesses, and community members working together to create environments where children feel seen, supported, and safe.
Every conversation, partnership, and investment helps build a stronger support system for the next generation.
As Kitty McKay shared during the interview, the growing number of young children experiencing mental health crises reinforced the importance of acting now rather than waiting until families are in crisis.
Looking Ahead
Carson Tahoe Health remains committed to expanding access to behavioral health services while continuing to develop innovative programs that prioritize prevention, education, and community connection.
Because every child deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy, hopeful, and supported.
Mental Health Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org/ to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If there is an immediate danger to yourself or others, call 911.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, Carson Tahoe Health offers a full continuum of behavioral health services, including outpatient care, inpatient treatment, crisis stabilization, and the Mallory Behavioral Health Crisis Center. Learn more about our Behavioral Health Services.
To learn more about Healing Our Kids & Community, Carson Tahoe Health’s initiative focused on youth behavioral health, prevention, early intervention, and community outreach programs like Vehicles of Change, visit healingourkids.org
