Avera Behavioral Health Hospital, Home of the Helmsley Behavioral Health Center
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800-691-4336
Everyone should know the warning signs of behavior that can show a developing problem.
View warning signs
Warning signs can include:
- Acting withdrawn, sad or overly anxious
- Extreme difficulty interacting with friends and/or family
- Significant mood swings
- Drop in school performance
- Changes in sleeping and/or eating patterns
- Increased or persistent use of alcohol or drugs
- Aggressive behavior
- Threats to self or others
- Hallucinations, paranoia or delusion
- Other sudden or extreme behavioral changes
The Avera Behavioral Health Hospital is a state-of-the-art 154-bed psychiatric facility offering both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care.
Avera has more than 60 years of experience as a leader in behavioral and mental health care. This facility opened in 2006, and recently expanded services for youth, behavioral health urgent care and specialized inpatient units. Patients of any age – children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens – receive care in specialized units, and this is the only multi-specialty facility within 200 miles of Sioux Falls.
In this safe, serene, therapeutic atmosphere, the spaces between visitor hallways, our main foyer and inpatient areas are detached to ensure patient care is priority and to limit distractions. Patient rooms are private, accessed from welcoming and comfortable common areas.
Expanding Access to Inpatient Care
To meet ongoing and increasing demand for high quality behavioral health services, Avera is expanding access to inpatient care in Sioux Falls with a new 16-bed adult unit in existing shell space in the Helmsley Behavioral Health Center. Read more.
Behavioral Health Urgent Care – Sioux Falls
Behavioral Health Urgent Care is a front door for accessing behavioral health services in a crisis situation.
We offer access to care 24/7, staffed by advanced providers, counselors, nurses and behavioral health techs. If you don’t know what to do or where to go in a behavioral health crisis, come to Urgent Care located in Sioux Falls, or call 1-800-691-4336
Helmsley Behavioral Health Center
Located at the Avera Behavioral Health Hospital in Sioux Falls, The Helmsley Behavioral Health Center, a recently added four-story addition, provides residential addiction care for youth, more capacity for children and adolescents, and partial hospitalization space for youth and adults.
Helping Young People Succeed
For the first time, Avera offers partial hospitalization to the youth in our community. Partial hospitalization involves therapy and treatment during the day while the patient goes home at night.
Youth can spend part of their day in school and part of their day making progress on their behavioral health condition that may be impeding their success in school and life.
Those in partial hospitalization take part in individual therapy, family meetings and case management and see a psychiatrist for medication management.
Watch a Video Tour of the Helmsley Behavioral Health Center
Helmsley Behavioral Health Center Photo Tour
The Helmsley Behavioral Health Center is a state-of-the-art facility built to fulfill Avera’s commitment to our community’s need for mental health care.
For individuals experiencing a psychiatric crisis, the Behavioral Health Urgent Care lobby and registration admits patients so they can receive help right away through safety and observation.
Having fun builds the spirit up, too! A recreation and game room gives patients the opportunity to relax and hang out.
Physical wellness along with emotional, mental and spiritual wellness is an important component of residents’ stay. A fitness center offers treadmills, rowers, exercise bikes and strength training equipment.
A designated classroom is available to accommodate therapy sessions, education, art therapy and more.
Each wing in the Helmsley Behavioral Health Center has its own dining room for patients to enjoy meals.
Inpatient older adults have a room to themselves to ensure privacy and dignity. Each room has a bed, wardrobe, sink, bathroom and desk.
Children stay in their own rooms to ensure privacy and dignity. They help care for their rooms to build responsibility and self-confidence. Each room has a bed, wardrobe, sink, bathroom and desk.
Each residential wing in the Helmsley Behavioral Health Center has its own living space with furniture, TVs and spaces to gather and unwind.
Addiction Recovery Services
Our experts in addiction recovery understand they’re treating individuals, couples or families – not just a disease. Anyone with a substance abuse disorder or who might face a similar condition, like compulsive gambling, can receive care with convenient daytime or evening services, including:
- Intensive Outpatient Program: An ASAM 2.1 Level of Care/Primary Treatment process that involves group therapy sessions and individual and/or couples counseling.
- Early Intervention Group: An ASAM 1.0 Level of Care designed to help participants gain insight about substance abuse, addiction and recovery-related concepts. Group therapy is combined with individual counseling services.
- Relapse Prevention Group: Designed for individuals who have completed primary treatment and achieved stability in early recovery. This group program is focused on helping people cope with personal issues while safeguarding the gains they have made relative to relapse prevention.
- Pain Management Groups: Structured group therapy designed to assist individuals with medication and substance use issues as well as mental health-related concerns. Biofeedback treatment services also are offered when appropriate.
- Professional Services: Specialized assistance is available to health care/licensed professionals who are experiencing the adverse effects from a substance abuse or addiction-related condition.
As a member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network, Avera leadership, staff, patients, families and communities also have access to tools, resources and collaborative consultations from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation – the nation’s leading nonprofit addiction treatment provider.
Addiction Care Center
The Avera Addiction Care Center, located in both Sioux Falls and Aberdeen, is a world-class residential care center that offers inpatient addiction care for adults seeking professional help for addiction to alcohol and other drugs.
Avera realizes addiction can affect adolescents, too, and has specialized services for youth, including residential treatment. Our chemical dependency counselors work with families as well as individuals. Call 605-504-2222 for more information.
Partial Hospitalization Program
If you or a loved one need stabilizing behavioral health care to help avoid or reduce inpatient hospitalization, take part in Avera Behavioral Health’s Partial Hospitalization Program.
This five-day-a-week program supports intensive comprehensive treatment for youth and adults in and around Sioux Falls, along with the flexibility of remaining an outpatient.
ECT (Electro-Convulsive Therapy) Treatment
ECT (electro-convulsive therapy) is a treatment for certain psychological disorders in which our highly-trained professionals utilize electrical current to produce a closely supervised, medically induced seizure. ECT has been shown to be effective in treating major depression, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. We place a priority on safety, dignity, privacy, comfort and convenience.
Arts In Healing
Experience innovative and creative healing through our Arts In Healing program. You and your therapist can select the approaches that work best for you, including:
- Expressive therapy – Uses creative arts such as storytelling, dance, music, drama, poetry, movement and more to foster personal growth, development and healing
- Music therapy – Provides healing and expression through creating, singing and moving to and/or listening to music
- Art therapy – Focuses on using the use of art materials such as paint, chalk and markers to explore alternate ways of communicating thoughts and feelings
- Recreational therapy – Helps reduce depression, stress and anxiety, and recover basic motor confidence and social interaction skills through exercises and stretching
Avera Medical Group Psychiatry Clinics
Located in this facility is the Avera Medical Group Behavioral Health clinic, making the hospital a one-stop location for care. Our psychiatric professionals welcome children and adolescents on the first floor (Suite 500), and adults and seniors on the second floor (Suite 1500).
Also located in Sioux Falls, SD is the Avera Family Wellness Program, offering therapy services to aid childhood development. This program partners with the United Way and the Avera Foundation to support families identified by the Sioux Falls school district as in need of early intervention.
On-site Food and Beverages: The Bistro
The main floor of the Avera Behavioral Health Hospital, also known as the Light Court, is home to the Bistro, which offers daily breakfast and lunch specials, as well as sandwiches, soup, rolls, fruit, yogurt, snack items, coffee and beverages. It’s open 6:45 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Support and Education
Friday Forums are offered once a month, free of charge at the Avera Behavioral Health Hospital. View a calendar of upcoming forums or view past programs.
Watch a Walkthrough of the Avera Behavioral Health Hospital