Cedar Rapids Today

Linn County Juvenile Detention Center and UnityPoint Health partnered and received a $5,000 grant to bring mental health services to youth in the area, according to KCRG.

COVID-19 has caused the average stay for youth at the center to go from 10 to 12 days all the way up to 17 to 20 days, the news media reported. Some youths have also been at the center for as long as 120 days.

“Many of the youth in our care have experienced significant trauma and they do not have the life experiences to handle the challenges,” Linn County Juvenile Detention & Diversion Services Director Dawn Schott said, the news media reported. “These at-risk youth tend to turn to unhealthy coping strategies. The mental health of our residents is an extremely important aspect of stabilization, which is a part of detention’s mission. This grant will aid in the beginning of collaborated efforts for effective behavioral assessments that could change the trajectory of their lives.”

Youth that come to the center are between the age of 12 and 17 and they have committed a crime that made them a risk to the community or themselves, the news media reported. The news media also noted that 27% of the youth at the center have suicidal thoughts.