GREEN BAY and LA CROSSE, Wis. — Throughout Mental Health Awareness Month, Emplify Health is spotlighting its second-to-none commitment to this critical facet of overall health and wellbeing.
“Across our health system footprint, we are actively working to expand access, launch innovative treatment models and build the workforce of tomorrow to ensure our communities receive the comprehensive care they deserve,” said Josh Court, director, Emplify Health by Gundersen Behavioral Health. “As we highlight existing and new initiatives, we remain laser focused on our communities’ mental health needs and how we can continue to make a difference for those we serve.”
In the past year alone, Emplify Health has launched or partnered to bring the following behavioral health initiatives to the communities it serves:
EmPATH Unit (La Crosse, Wis.) — The state of Wisconsin’s first dedicated emergency mental health facility, Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing, or EmPATH, opened its doors in April and is now serving patients at Emplify Health by Gundersen’s La Crosse campus. This dedicated 5,000 square-foot unit provides a calming atmosphere with specialized technology and resources, providing patients access to a psychiatric provider within the first hour of their arrival. After the patient’s crisis is addressed, they meet with the treatment team to determine next steps, which could include transfer to inpatient behavior health or discharge and follow up.
Resch Mental Health Initiative (Northeast Wisconsin, Upper Peninsula of Michigan) — In June 2025, Emplify Health by Bellin, Marquette University and The Richard J. Resch Foundation announced the Resch Mental Health Initiative. This groundbreaking seven-year pilot program, funded by a transformative gift from The Richard J. Resch Foundation, addresses the critical shortage of mental health professionals in Northeast Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. By providing fully funded master’s degrees, hands-on clinical training, and a clear path to employment at Emplify Health for 25 students, this program will serve 26,000 patients annually, potentially saving the region $254 million each year in untreated mental illness costs.
Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) (Onalaska, Wis.) — Launched in fall 2025, the Adolescent PHP at the Kaitlin’s Table Day Center is the only program of its kind in the Coulee Region. This structured, three-week group-based program supports high schoolers ages 13 through 18 who are struggling with emotional and behavioral concerns. By providing individual, family and psychiatry appointments, the program helps teens build the coping skills necessary to thrive at home and in school.
Children’s Mental Health Walk-In Clinic (Green Bay, Wis.) — Emplify Health Behavioral Health in fall 2025 partnered with Children’s Wisconsin to open a pediatric mental health walk-in clinic in at Emplify Health Behavioral Health Green Bay Hospital. The clinic offers same-day care for children and teens ages 5 to 18 experiencing urgent mental health issues, serving as a much-needed alternative to traditional emergency room visits.
Finally, throughout Mental Health Awareness Month, Emplify Health Behavioral Health is once again sharing a powerful visual reminder of lives lost to suicide and the importance of mental health. The Pinwheels for a Purpose display on the behavioral health hospital’s front lawn includes 920 pinwheels, one for each life lost to suicide in Wisconsin in 2024. This display serves as a poignant reminder of why having robust mental health support for all ages is vital to saving and improving lives.
During May and throughout the year, Emplify Health remains committed to mental health and wellness for all.
“At Emplify Health, we are dedicated to fostering a healthier, more resilient community,” said Marilou Counard, director, Emplify Health by Bellin Behavioral Health Ambulatory Clinical Services. “This Mental Health Awareness Month, we celebrate these milestones and look forward to continuing our work to ensure compassionate, high-quality mental health care is accessible to everyone.”
