Nationwide Children's Hospital is hoping to close some of that gap with its planned Behavioral Health Pavilion, a project announced Friday as part of a massive, $730 million campuswide expansion. The $158 million center, set to open with 48 in-patient beds in 2020, aims to strike down the stigma that surrounds children and adolescents with mental and behavioral illnesses and address such conditions from several angles - through in- and out-patient treatment, training for medical professionals, expanded research and improved links with community resources.

In a way, it was almost a good thing that Leah had spiraled so low.

Had she not been inching so close to suicide, she probably would have been on a waiting list to get help. The teen's mother, Jami Ingledue, remembers hearing that it could take as long as six months.

"When it's verging on suicidal, we need help now," Ingledue said.

A lot of central Ohio families find themselves in that position. And plenty of them face long waits for the kind of care their children desperately need.

Nationwide Children's Hospital is hoping to close some of that gap with its planned Behavioral Health Pavilion, a project announced Friday as part of a massive, $730 million campuswide expansion.

The $158 million center, set to open with 48 in-patient beds in 2020, aims to strike down the stigma that surrounds children and adolescents with mental and behavioral illnesses and address such conditions from several angles � through in- and out-patient treatment, training for medical professionals, expanded research and improved links with community resources.

Hospital officials say there's nothing quite like it in the United States. It will be on the west side of the hospital's main campus, a location as symbolic as it is convenient: The hospital wanted to give mental health the same billing as physical illness rather than tucking a treatment center away in the suburbs.

"In some ways, this can serve as a catalyst," said Dr. David Axelson, chief of behavioral health at Children's. "When someone steps out and says, 'Hey, this is a big problem, and we're willing to invest in these services.' "

Eleven percent of children 8 to 11 have a mental illness, and so do 22 percent of teens ages 13 to 18, according to Children's figures. Only half of them receive treatment.

"We do have an epidemic," said hospital board chairman Alex Fischer. "Kids in Columbus and kids across the country are hurting."

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens, behind accidents. Since 2000, nearly 200 Ohio children younger than 15 have died by suicide. In 2014, the most recent year for which data are available, 24 children killed themselves in the state.

Most people who attempt suicide are suffering with a mental illness, and children are no exception. But many parents and advocates find that getting help can be frustrating.

"You can actually be put on a waiting list to be on the waiting list," said Ellen Wristen, an attorney specializing in special-education law and the executive director of Brookwood Academy, an East Side charter school.

Local efforts have tried to make a dent in the shortage of help.

In April, Children's launched a 24-hour psychiatric crisis line for kids and teens, which Franklin County's Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board is devoting nearly $400,000 to annually. And last week, Franklin County commissioners approved a $450,000, one-year contract with Children's in part to increase mental health services and suicide prevention efforts in public schools.

It's a start, advocates say.

"No, I don't think it meets the need," said David Royer, chief executive officer of the ADAMH board. "I think it helps address the need."

Experts say the problem stems from both increasing child behavioral needs as well as a society slow to recognize that mental ailments can be just as devastating as physical ones. Historically, mental health services have been relegated to the fringes, viewed as money-losers with surroundings that reflect that.

"A lot of dedicated providers make do with some pretty sub-par facilities," said Patty McClimon, Children's senior vice president of strategic and facilities planning, who scoped out several behavioral health sites in researching the hospital's new center.

The Behavioral Health Pavilion has no plans to fall into that trap. Its design calls for a round-the-clock crisis evaluation center as well as brief and longer-term in-patient care. Axelson said it aims to provide seamless care once patients leave the hospital and intensive treatment for those who need it.

The center also will support advancements in research along with training for medical professionals in a field suffering from a major shortage of providers.

The plans give Jami Ingledue hope. She spoke in support of the center during its announcement Friday and received a standing ovation.

"We felt so alone during this," said Ingledue, who lives near Gambier in Knox County. "It's really hard to find support and to find people to talk to about it."

Her adoptive daughter, Leah Bennett, had emerged from a traumatic childhood sunny and brilliant, with a pure, raw musical talent. But Leah began to change after her freshman year in high school. She spiraled into a deep depression exacerbated by a concussion and began stealing, smoking and cutting herself. She was failing classes and suffering from panic attacks at school.

"She wrote two pages about how much she wanted to die," Ingledue said.

Their family doctor started her on an antidepressant but soon referred the family to Children's. The problem had gotten too big. Leah was toying with suicide plans.

Because of that, Ingledue said Leah was able to skip the wait and get emergency treatment at the hospital. After a thorough examination, a doctor started her on multiple medications to treat the girl's depression. Ingledue quickly saw a change. Further therapy with another doctor seemed to steady Leah even more.

"They saved her life," Ingledue said. "I have no doubt about that."

And though Ingledue knows her daughter still has challenges ahead, there is this: The girl who once wanted to die is headed to college in the fall on a music scholarship.

lkurtzman@dispatch.com

@LoriKurtzman