Sisters of Mercy Grants $75,000 to Eliada's Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Program

ASHEVILLE –January 2010 – Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina has granted $75,000 to Eliada in support of the agency’s Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) program. This funding is the third in a series of grants the foundation has made to expand the program, which offers high-level psychiatric care to abused, neglected, and at-risk students at the top of the acuity spectrum. The most recent grant from Sisters of Mercy brings the Foundation’s total commitment to the PRTF project to $215,000.

What is a PRTF?
A Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) is a residential treatment program for children and adolescents who need intensive mental health support. Many PRTF students have suffered extreme abuse and trauma and experienced multiple hospitalizations. These students are the most needy in the mental health system, requiring specialized, individualized interventions to return to a state of health.

In late 2006, Eliada pioneered the state's first stand-alone adolescent PRTF unit, which remains the only PRTF program in Western North Carolina. This unit was so successful that Eliada opened a second adolescent unit in 2007 and a younger children’s unit in 2008. This year, the program has grown yet again, especially as drastic changes in mental health funding have displaced children in other key safety-net services.

Providing care locally in a campus-based environment
Prior to the opening of Eliada’s PRTF program, there was no local facility that could offer this level of care. Many students in need of a PRTF placement waited months or years for an available bed, and many more were sent across or even outside of the state to receive care. A drastic consequence of this was that there was little opportunity for family involvement, which is directly correlated with student success. Eliada’s PRTF is unique, in that it stands apart from a state psychiatric hospital. Situated on a picturesque mountain campus, students benefit from participating in campus life and activities such as Eliada’s equestrian, minibike, and athletics programs.

A track record of success
Last year, Eliada implemented a new family involvement outreach initiative that raised the rate of parental involvement to 97%. For students in PRTF care, they saw an 84% increase in mood stabilization and knowledge of life skills. 93% of all discharges were planned, meaning that students achieved stability and didn’t require emergency placement at a higher service level. In awarding the most recent grant, Sisters of Mercy cited these achievements as a factor in their decision making.

According to Eliada CEO Mark Upright, “Sisters of Mercy played a key role in the establishment of the PRTF program at Eliada. They were one of the first Foundations to make a grant in support of the project, which led others such as the Duke Endowment and the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust to do the same. Since 2006, Eliada has received close to a million dollars in foundation funding for this program. The endorsement of Sisters of Mercy has played a large role in our success.”

Learn more
If you would like to learn more about Eliada or the PRTF program, consider taking a tour of the agency’s historic campus. Tours are offered each second and fourth Tuesday and can be scheduled by calling 828.254.5356 x 108. Visit us online at www.eliada.org.

About Eliada
Eliada is a 107 year old non-profit agency serving North Carolina’s children and families. Founded in 1903 by Dr. Lucius B. Compton as a home for women and children, Eliada’s full service continuum includes NAEYC accredited Child Development Services (Pre School, After School, Summer Camp, More at Four); Residential and Day Treatment for children and adolescents; In Home services; Foster Care and Therapeutic Foster Care; and Therapeutic Recreation services. The agency enters its second century with pride, committed to the fulfillment of its mission statement: Helping Children Succeed.