MEMPHIS — Alliance Healthcare Services will open the Children & Youth Wellness Center at 602 Malcomb Street in Memphis on May 12, 2026. The 10,000-square-foot facility represents a multi-year, $11 million investment and will serve children and youth ages 4 to 17 experiencing behavioral health crises, including suicidal thoughts, severe anxiety, aggression, trauma symptoms, and psychiatric emergencies.

The Center will provide 24/7 walk-in crisis assessment and operate 15 crisis stabilization beds. Its multidisciplinary team will include child and adolescent psychiatrists, therapists, nurse practitioners, and family support specialists. Care will extend from intake through discharge with follow-up coordination to schools, primary care providers, and community partners. No child will be turned away regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

"For too long, parents in this community have driven to emergency rooms not built for pediatric mental health, or watched their child wait days for a bed that may not exist. That ends here. The Children & Youth Wellness Center is for Memphis, by Memphis." said Laurie Powell, President and CEO of Alliance Healthcare Services.

The clinical model uses the MATCH curriculum, or Modular Approach to Therapy for Children. Evidence indicates that 85 percent of children demonstrate measurable improvement under the curriculum, with caregiver satisfaction at 84 percent. The trauma-informed environment features natural light in every room and an open-air basketball court.

"We built the program around what kids actually need: trauma-informed care, predictable routines, and clinicians trained specifically in pediatric behavioral health. A 7-year-old in crisis doesn't process the world the way a 17-year-old does, and our staff is trained to meet both where they are." said Dr. Kiersten Hawes, Director of the Center.

At launch, the Center will accept BlueCare/TennCare Select, United HealthCare TennCare, and WellPoint TennCare insurance. Commercial insurance including Medicare, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Cigna, Wellpoint, UnitedHealthcare, and AETNA will be accepted following CARF accreditation, which is required 90 days after opening and is expected in September 2026.

The Center is fully funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the State of Tennessee, Shelby County, the City of Memphis, and the Alliance Healthcare Foundation. It is Phase 2 of the organization's behavioral health campus, completing a combined $45 million-plus investment alongside the adult Crisis Wellness Center at 3200 Broad Avenue. Founded in 1973, Alliance Healthcare Services serves children, adolescents, and adults across Memphis, Shelby County, and West Tennessee through 24/7 walk-in crisis services, outpatient care, and community programs regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.