LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Throughout the pandemic, the spotlight has been on mental health and the importance of seeking help if you need it.

The Centers for Disease Control recently reported that in 2020, mental health-related hospital visits increased by 31% for all teens ages 12 to 17.

Now, a new adolescent treatment center is hoping to change that statistic.

The CDC says that throughout the pandemic, hospital visits for attempted suicides have started to increase, especially for girls ages 12 to 17, increasing by almost 51%.

Bright Way Behavioral Health now offers a wide range of therapies to help our teens locally.

The mental health facility is now open in the Southwest Valley, near Buffalo Drive and Robindale Road.

Adolescents aged 13 to 18 live in the mixed residence and generally stay there for three to six months.

These adolescents are offered specialized and intensive treatment for serious mental health or addiction problems.

This includes traditional, evidence-based and experimental therapies, such as music therapy, hypnotherapy, and yoga.

Bright Way says Clark County has seen one of the biggest increases in suicide attempts since the pandemic.

“It’s important to have conversations to normalize the topic of mental health,” said Emily Painter of Bright Way Behavioral Health. “Mental health has been around for years, and we haven’t talked about it where it was like ‘keep it quiet, keep it in the closet’. We need to bring it to the surface to bring help to adolescents in need. “

Painter, program director at Bright Way, says there are certain signs to watch out for that may indicate your teen is in need of professional help. This includes self-harm, isolation, being withdrawn from friends and family, and talking about mental health or suicide.

Bright Way currently has patient availability. There is an initial assessment, which consists of many questions to develop the best level of care.