Jefferson County: Opens new Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility

Jefferson, Wis. – State of Wisconsin and Jefferson County officials held a ribbon cutting event today to celebrate the opening of a new Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility. Called the Matz Center, it is an 8-bed facility located in a wooded setting on the outskirts of the City of Watertown.  The facility will house up to 4 boys and 4 girls and provide short-term crisis stabilization within a community-based setting.  The goal of the program is to prevent, deescalate and treat mental health crises and avoid admission to a more restrictive setting.  The Matz Center will provide mental health crisis stabilization 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year, giving temporary structure, clinical treatment and care required to meet the needs of the child. Plans for return home are coordinated with the child’s family and care team. Jefferson County is eternally grateful for the financial support from the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services that has made this possible.  “We are continuously interested in evolving and expanding our service array for children and families, and the opportunity to open a Youth Crisis Stabilization facility in our backyard is a great addition to our community. We know children and families are best served in their community following evidence-based practices, while avoiding the trauma of a major disruption. The Matz Center will accomplish that for many families,” said Brent Ruehlow, Director of Jefferson County Human Services. 

This voluntary setting is ideal during the early stages of a mental health struggle, before a lengthy, costly, and more restrictive environment is needed. Access to a safe environment that is close to home, family, and other support networks is ideal for children and provides continuity of care.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate in this unique manner with the Department of Health Services (DHS), Wisconsin Community Services (WCS) and the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation,” continued Ruehlow. “The funding and technical support from DHS allowed this a shared vision come to life. WCS provided the experience needed for the scope of this project and the Foundation provided this unique space, along with ongoing support as always. We would not be opening the doors without this help from all of our partners.”

Why this facility is needed:

Historically, up to 1 in 5 children has a reported mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder (Perou et al. 2013), and youth mental health has worsened over the past decade (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).  During the pandemic, rates increased for positive suicide risk screens, anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms among youth (Lantos et al., 2022; Mayne 2021; Office of the Surgeon General 2021).

We know that emergency departments and inpatient hospitalization are not ideal situations for youth in crisis.  From potential traumatization of being emergency detained to the rising costs of healthcare, offering youth evidenced based treatment in the least restrictive setting is key.

SAMHSA’s National Guidelines for youth crisis services identify three key components: 1. Someone to talk to, 2. Someone to respond and 3. A safe place to be. Jefferson County is please to now offer all three of these services.

How the Matz Center will operate:

Jefferson County Human Services will serve as fiscal agent, hold the lease and license (chapter 50) and control admissions. Wisconsin Communities Services (WCS), a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that serves communities across the state, will run day-to-day operations. Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation owns the facility, formerly part of Bethesda’s Camp Matz. Numerous counties across the state will contract for services. 

Thanks to the grant funding from DHS, Jefferson County did not need to invest any county money in startup costs. The County will realize cost savings through reductions in transportation expenses and by reducing or eliminating costly placements at in-state and out-of-state facilities.