The Upstate Foundation has increased the fundraising goal of its Campaign for Child & Adolescent Mental Health to $5.3 million, from $3.2 million, due to the desperate need for more youth mental health services and a desire to do more to address a crisis that is impacting the CNY community and communities across the country. The announcement was made during the Upstate Gala, held last month.

A gift or pledge to support the campaign will address several pillars of need including psychiatric nurse practitioner fellowships, suicide prevention, addiction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, dual diagnosis unit, and the Elmcrest Children’s Center.

The number of children and adolescents turning to Upstate’s pediatric emergency department for mental health issues is staggering. Around 3,000 children, as young as five, were seen in the pediatric emergency department in 2022. Gregory Conners, MD, professor of pediatrics and executive director of the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, said that number is trending even higher this year.

Conners reports that some adolescents and children who are treated at the pediatric ED are left behind by their families who are no longer able to cope at home. These children are admitted to Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and are boarded for days, weeks, and sometimes months until an appropriate placement can be found.

The plight of how Upstate’s pediatric emergency department and other institutions are dealing with the mental health crisis was explored in a Wall Street Journal article Nov. 8.

 “We increased the campaign goal by $2 million because we simply could not ignore the alarming statistics and the heart wrenching family stories we hear from Upstate faculty and staff,” said Eileen Pezzi, vice president for development at Upstate. “We are compelled to keep raising funds through 2024 and beyond, if needed, to reach the increased $5.3 million goal.”

Gifts or pledges may be made directly to the Upstate Foundation’s Campaign for Child & Adolescent Mental Health or by calling 315-464-4416. The campaign is also a featured fund for the current Community Giving Campaign.

Caption: Upstate President Mantosh Dewan, MD, announces at the Upstate Gala that the Upstate Foundation had increased the fundraising goal of its Campaign for Child & Adolescent Mental Health to $5.3 million due to the desperate need for more youth mental health services.