GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Pine Rest Center of Behavioral Health is expected to serve up to 25,000 children annually across a range of behavioral health services. The pediatric center will feature 66 inpatient beds, day programs, outpatient therapy, and a psychiatric urgent care exclusively for children and teens. Patients are set to begin moving in on March 23.
Sully, the facility's first therapy dog, was trained through Canines for Change. His handler, Pine Rest activity therapist Kayla Jeltema, said his presence offers a kind of comfort that people sometimes cannot.
"One of the things — we actually had a patient here that lost a loved one while they were in our care, and Sully was able to go in and just help support that person and provide comfort in a different way than the people were able to do that," Jeltema said.
Nick Gates, president of Priority Health, said dogs like Sully can reach children in ways that are difficult for adults.
"A dog can go in and provide that comfort to the child, and we've seen children speaking to the dogs, hugging the dogs, and really sharing why they're having anxiety with the dog, and it helps them get back into the classroom," Gates said.
Pine Rest plans to add more facility dogs once the center is fully up and running.
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