When Christine's 16-year-old grandson, John, was suicidal, running away from home and failing in school, she didn't know what to do to help him. And his alcoholic father, a widower, was just as perplexed.

Eventually, John was admitted to University Hospital in Albuquerque for psychiatric care, and Christine discovered TeamBuilders Counseling Services and Zia Behavioral Health. She was relieved to learn the mental-health groups had an office right here in Santa Fe, and she accompanied her grandson on his visits to the facility about three times a week. Soon, the psychiatrists and therapists became the family's allies and the mental-health office became like a second home.

"They were our lifeline in turning this around," said Christine, who asked that her real name and her grandson's real name not be printed.

A new home

In October, TeamBuilders and Zia Behavioral Health, which have offices around the state and a combined client base of 1,600, moved into a 22,000-square-foot renovated warehouse across from the Municipal Court Building on Camino Entrada. At an open house Thursday, they are offering tours of the new facility and the chance for the public to learn more about their services for children and adults who need help with the day-to-day challenges of living with such conditions as depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and traumatic brain injury.

"We just feel so blessed," neuropsychologist Lorraine Freedle, the co-founder and clinical director of TeamBuilders, said of the facility, which is twice the size of the organization's former office on Jaguar Drive.

"This is much more of a family center than a traditional doctor's office," she added. It's a place where "kids have activities and families feel comfortable."

Inside the double doors, the Family Center resembles a conference center. There's a full-service kitchen on the left and a wide-open atrium filled with comfy couches, tables and a wooden rocking horse where families can hang out while their child is in therapy and professionals taking workshops can relax. In the backyard is a sandbox, a patch of Astroturf and a big tree. Most of the paintings on the walls were done by members of the staff or their family members.

On a chilly November day, sun streamed through the windows of the waiting room, where a boy played alone. He talked quietly to himself as he cooked a miniature hamburger in the skillet in the kid-sized play kitchen. "Now I will make some frijoles," he said.

The trucks, the Legos and the rug road map didn't interest him. It was about the food. He reorganized the kitchen for a while, then turned the plastic groceries into Frisbees, flinging them across the play area. He called out their names: "sausage, bread, grapes, pepper, chicken" and on and on.

Founded in 1995 in Tucumcari, TeamBuilders now has offices in 12 counties. The nonprofit gets about 65 percent of its clients, ranging in age from newborns to 21, as referrals from the state's Protective Services and Juvenile Justice programs. It provides a broad scope of services to help students succeed in school, to help families thrive and to give families of special-needs children a break. Approximately 98 percent of these services are provided at no cost to families, Freedle said.

The larger space is allowing TeamBuilders to expand its services. One room on the first floor now houses the School Readiness Program for special-education students in kindergarten to grade five with intensive behavioral health needs. Up to 16 students at a time will come here for several months to a full year — whatever it takes to prepare them and their school for their return. The program addresses their social, academic and emotional needs.

In addition to the usual stuff — crayons and books and dominoes — there's a box of yoga mats in the room. The program also includes art therapy and time to play with sensory toys. There's even a gymnasium with a climbing wall and a basketball court.

All-in-one services

Christine said she likes the wrap-around approach at the Family Center. "Not only do they support the children, they support the families," she said.

She attended a seven-week class, which was open to the public, on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She also got help enrolling her grandson in Medicaid to cover the medical expenses.

Parenting classes, grief classes and in-home services are other options for families. TeamBuilders can supply a staff member to go to school with a child or someone to spend time in the child's home to show parents how to deal with outbursts or other challenging behaviors. The therapists will help find after-school activities that play to a child's strengths rather than feed his weaknesses.

Christine wonders how her grandson's life would have been different had he been properly assessed and received consistent therapy much earlier. "This is what it takes," she said of the combination of a good diagnosis and consistent treatment. "He did not get this until he was 16."

She remembers her grandson as a light-hearted child with a big heart for animals. But when John was 7, his mother died from a chronic illness. Over time, he became depressed and began acting out with bad behavior. In 2006, he ran away from home. Christine moved in with him and hired tutors to help him catch up with studies. She realized how troubled he was when she found suicidal writings in his room. He spent six days in University Hospital receiving psychiatric care and was referred to TeamBuilders and Zia.

It took a year of therapy there before he could experience and express joy again, Christine said.

At Zia Behavioral Health, Dr. Christopher Clancy and Dr. William Johnson were the psychiatrists who took on John's case. "(They) rescued us," Christine said. "(They) were extremely helpful."

In addition to medication, John's treatment plan included one-on-one psychiatry, one-on-one therapy and group therapy with other teens.

"We were here three times a week for a long period of time," Christine said. "We made great progress in two years."

During that time, she had to take some difficult steps. By May 2007, she concluded her grandson should no longer live with his father, whom she believes is dependent on alcohol. She took her own son to court and won guardianship of her grandson.

In time, her grandson went back to school, but he continued to struggle. He's intelligent, she said, but he has trouble focusing. Now 18, John recently moved out on his own and quit school, with plans to get a general equivalency diploma.

"We have a good relationship even though he's on his own," Christine said.

She's trying to stay in the background as her grandson asserts his independence, but she's glad to see that he still hangs on to his lifeline at the Family Center. He continues to get services there.

"Had it not been for Zia and TeamBuilders through all of that, we would have been lost," Christine said.

Contact Diana Del Mauro at dianasf@juno.com.

IF YOU GO

What: At the Family Center grand opening for TeamBuilders Counseling Services and Zia Behavioral Health, guests can tour the new facility, observe Tae Kwon Do demonstrations, enjoy free food and give their kids a chance to burn off some energy in the bounce house.

When: 3-7 p.m. Thursday

Where: 2504 Camino Entrada

Who: The open house is for families and professionals who want to know more about how these organizations help children overcome mental-health challenges so that they can succeed at home, at school and in the community. But the family center isn't just for kids. Adults in need of therapy or psychiatric care are also served by Zia Behavioral Health, and parents of children with special needs can also find support here.

Cost: Free

Information: 471-5006