Crisis Psychiatric Care for Youth
SubacuteIf you or someone you know needs help for a child or teen facing
a mental health challenge, call us at 503-408-4705.
About Kerr’s Crisis Psychiatric Care for Youth (SUBACUTE)
Kerr’s Subacute unit offers a safe and secure environment for youth to stabilize from a mental health crisis.
Our team of psychiatrists, therapists, nurses, and psychiatric technicians, collaborate with youth and their guardians, providing compassionate care to support stabilization.
On average, youth are discharged within three weeks of admission. Prior to discharge, we work with guardians and community supports to create a plan for ongoing care.
We provide a nurturing and empowering environment for youth to recover, reflect, and build skills essential to thriving.
Because every youth has unique needs, we provide comprehensive care that acknowledges and addresses those needs, promotes overall well-being, and fosters growth.
Through innovative and evidence-based practices, we aim to break down barriers, reduce stigma, and promote independence, dignity, and quality of life.
Crisis Psychiatric Care
Click on topics for additional information.
What Our Facility Is Like
Situated on a forested campus, our secure facility offers indoor and outdoor spaces for youth to relax and feel stable.
Free from the stressors of the outside world, our clients have private bedrooms and share common spaces with peers of similar age and therapeutic goals.
Our facility includes a library, game room, and half-court gym where clients can engage in various activities such as music, art, reading, board games, schoolwork, and exercise.
Our secure outdoor area provides opportunities for drawing, yoga, walking, skateboarding, or using play equipment.
Upon admission, each client receives a daily schedule, with therapists customizing activities and environments to meet their unique needs.
Services Provided
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management by a psychiatrist
- Individual therapy twice weekly
- Family therapy twice weekly
- Skill-building groups
- Daily therapeutic arts activities, including visual arts, music, and movement
- Daily indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities, including baseball, skateboarding, and soccer
- Continued school enrollment and classes through Multnomah Education Service District
- Access to primary assessment by our Nurse Practitioners, as needed
- Rapid access to psychological testing, if deemed medically appropriate
- Care coordination with outside providers
- Case management
- Robust safety planning for discharge to the community
- Referral to ongoing mental health services upon discharge
About Our Subacute Team
Dr. Naomi Fishman, M.D. (she/her)
Medical Director and Board-Certified Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr. Fishman, a compassionate and trauma-informed psychiatrist, has been a pillar of leadership in the field for over a decade. She has steered Albertina Kerr’s Crisis Psychiatric Care (Subacute) program and Children’s Behavioral Services since 2016.
Board-certified in both Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry, she completed a general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, where she was Chief Fellow, at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU).
Dr. Fishman’s influence extends beyond her practice, as she serves on the executive committee for the Oregon Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is the Child Psychiatrist representative on the Oregon Health Authority’s Mental Health Clinical Advisory Group.
In her free time, Dr. Fishman enjoys cooking, traveling, spending time with family, and ensuring her high-energy dog gets two daily walks.
Stephanie Scovil, LMFT, CADCI (she/her)
Director of Mental Health Services and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Stephanie Scovil, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, brings a unique blend of warmth, kindness, and a passion for improving systems of care to her role as the Director of Mental Health Services. Since 2021, she has been providing clinical oversight and direction to Albertina Kerr’s Crisis Psychiatric Care (Subacute) program and Children’s Behavioral Services.
Stephanie’s journey in the field has been diverse, having completed her master’s degree at Lewis & Clark College in 2014, specializing in family therapy and addictions and international family therapy.
Her experience spans across the globe, from a clinical internship in Uganda to working as a therapist in youth and adult mental health and substance use outpatient programs. She has also worked with youth and family-intensive in-home therapy programs.
In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with family, traveling, snowboarding, and seeking adventure throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Dr. Jon Swan, D.O. (he/him)
Psychiatrist
Dr. Swan is a psychiatrist working for Albertina Kerr’s subacute program since the summer of 2024. He completed a psychiatry residency at the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining Kerr, Dr. Swan worked as a Pediatric Psychiatric Hospitalist at Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His holistic approach to psychiatric treatment is informed by his bachelor’s degree in nutrition and his additional training in Psychodynamic and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.Â
In his free time, Dr. Swan enjoys traveling the world and exploring the beautiful outdoors of the Pacific Northwest with his family and two dogs.
Our Training
At Albertina Kerr, continuous staff training and development provide the foundation for achieving positive health outcomes for our clients. We invest heavily in training related to:
- Suicide Risk and Assessment
- Collaborative Problem Solving
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Creating LGBTQIA2S+ Affirming and Equitable Spaces
Who we admit
Our program accepts referrals for children and adolescents ages 5 through 17 years old.
The youth we serve typically pose an imminent risk of harm to themselves or others, making a secure care setting and intensive mental health treatment appropriate.
We carefully assess each referral to ensure that the type and level of care we provide through our short-term Subacute program will be therapeutic and in the youth’s best interest.
When a short-term Subacute level of care is insufficient or too restrictive, we will not admit the referred youth. If needed, we will issue a formal decline to help the youth access a more appropriate level of care.
Your Care team
Our diverse team of caregiving staff often mirrors the diversity of our clients. Clients are regularly relieved to find a staff member they can immediately relate to.
We prioritize a person-centered approach, ensuring that clients are respected and valued regardless of race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, or gender.
The treatment team includes:
- A Psychiatrist who follows the case from start to finish
- A Master’s level Child and Family Therapist who follows the case from start to finish
- A minimum of 16-hour Nursing availability daily
- 24/7 Psychiatric Technicians
Who we accept referrals from
We accept referrals from:
- Emergency Departments and hospitals
- Outpatient clinicians
- Acute psychiatric units
- Crisis response teams
All referrals must include a recommendation from a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) for Subacute services. The QMHP must be able to justify why Subacute is a medically necessary level of care for the child. In Oregon, QMHPs include psychiatrists, mental health therapists, social workers, psychologists, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners. Guardians cannot self-refer to this level of care.
Subacute Referral Packet and Form
Click here to download Kerr’s Subacute Referral Packet.
What your child needs to bring
Our goal is to provide a safe and therapeutic environment for all youth and staff.
Youth are encouraged to bring personal items that enhance comfort and safety in their private bedrooms.
For example, we encourage clients to bring their favorite clothing, pillows, stuffed animals, books, personal snacks, and music players.
Upon admission, clients and guardians will receive a complete list of what to and what not to bring.
Our Location
832 NE 162nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97230
Once you enter the Kerr campus, follow signs for Crisis Psychiatric Care (Subacute). The entrance is under the awning at the end of the parking lot. Ring the doorbell and our staff will greet you.
Visiting your child
We believe ongoing, positive community support is an integral part of healing.
We love welcoming family, pets, and other supportive adults (such as caseworkers, teachers, and therapists) to our program in person and virtually.
In collaboration with the client, guardians are invited to create a safe-contact list for the youth while they are in our care.
Before admission, youth and guardians receive detailed information about scheduling phone calls, virtual visits, and in-person visits.
We continue vigilantly monitoring COVID rates in the community and adjusting precautions as needed.
Insurance we work with
Most health insurance companies will cover the costs for a medically necessary stay at our facility. We currently contract with a variety of health plans. If you don’t see the youth’s insurance listed, please call our Access team at 503-408-4705 to find out whether we may be able to secure coverage for the referred youth.
Currently, for our Subacute program, we can accept:
- Most Oregon Health Plan CCOs
- BlueCross
- CareOregon HealthShare
- Columbia Pacific
- DMAP/Open Card
- GOHBI Eastern Oregon
- Jackson Care Connect
- Kaiser Permanente
- Moda
- PacificSource
- PacificSource Medicaid
- Providence Health Plan
- Samaritan
- Trillium Medicaid
- Yamhill County