News & Announcements
St. Luke’s expands pediatric behavioral health clinic in Boise
By Taylor MarschnerLast Updated May 5, 2026
An expanded St. Luke’s pediatric behavioral health clinic will better meet the growing mental health needs of children, adolescents and their families. The expanded, Boise-based clinic was recently celebrated by staff and community donors.
“This expansion improves access and shortens wait times while enabling more coordinated care for children and teens who need specialized behavioral health support in our community,” said Sabid Alagic, practice manager, St. Luke’s Children’s Behavioral Health. “By growing our team and services, we can intervene earlier and deliver care that supports both the child and their family.”
The clinic first opened 12 years ago with a goal of providing comprehensive, family-centered behavioral healthcare for youth, at a time when outpatient services dedicated to children and adolescents were limited. Since then, the program has grown steadily, serving thousands of families with evaluations, therapy, crisis support coordination, and medication management.
Made possible by generous donations from community donors, the pediatric clinic expansion will significantly increase the clinic’s capacity with the addition of 10 new providers.
New and expanded services include enhanced psychiatric evaluations and medication management, increased psychological testing and diagnostics, additional individual, family and group therapy appointments and strengthened care coordination and crisis follow-up.
Responding to the rising demand
Kelly Loehr, a licensed clinical professional counselor at St. Luke’s Children’s Behavioral Health says that over the past several years, demand for pediatric behavioral health services has risen dramatically across the Treasure Valley. As the population has increased, so has demand for pediatric behavioral health services, leading to waitlists for psychiatric evaluations and therapy appointments.
“Local schools and pediatricians have been reporting the need for increased services available to children showing anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations and behavioral challenges,” said Loehr. Prior to the clinic expansion, it wasn’t uncommon for families to be on a waitlist for several months before accessing specialized care, creating additional strain on emergency and school systems.
