Connections Health Solutions to Improve Access to Emergency Crisis Care and Stabilization in Southcentral Pennsylvania

Company to operate mobile crisis response program and a walk-in emergency crisis center to address behavioral health needs in Cumberland County, Dauphin County, and Perry County

PHOENIX, Dec. 13, 2023 — Connections Health Solutions, the leading innovator in immediate-access behavioral health crisis care, today announced three counties in Pennsylvania have awarded it a contract to launch and operate a mobile crisis response program and a walk-in crisis center that will serve both youth and adults experiencing behavioral health and substance use crises. The walk-in crisis center will be centrally located at 1100 S. Cameron Street in Harrisburg and serve Cumberland County, Dauphin County, and Perry County. 

 "Addressing the unmet need in behavioral health crisis care has been a priority for our local leaders for quite some time,” said Cumberland County Commissioner Gary Eichelberger. “Now, instead of individuals seeking urgent behavioral health care at the emergency room or being taken to jail they will have immediate access to care via mobile service that can come directly to them or in a dedicated, treatment-oriented space. We look forward to Connections Health Solutions operating both regional services and implementing an innovative model that has proven to be effective.”

"Admitting they need help is a fleeting turning point for someone affected by substance use disorder or a mental health issue. Our community members in crisis can't be put on hold, on a waiting list, or in a bed in an overcrowded Emergency Department; this critical moment may pass. Having a walk-in clinic to render appropriate and immediate care to someone in crisis holds the promise of being transformative for care-seekers, our health care system, and our criminal justice system,” said George P. Hartwick III, Dauphin County Commissioner. “We welcome this groundbreaking partnership with Cumberland and Perry Counties and Connections Health Solutions in delivering behavioral health services. In the face of complex behavioral health challenges, we need to bring all the innovation and partners we can to the table to overcome a challenge that has already taken too many lives and left too many families in pain." 

“The services provided by the mobile crisis response team and at the regional walk-in crisis center will save lives,” said Perry County Commissioner Brenda Watson. “We look forward to the positive impact that improved access to behavioral health crisis care will have in our communities and the strengthening of our behavioral health crisis response system.”

The mobile crisis response unit will be comprised of a dedicated team of behavioral health professionals who are dispatched directly to assist individuals in crisis and connect them to ongoing services. Services will be available 24/7/365 for youth and adults. 

The walk-in crisis center will be open to all, regardless of severity of need or insurance. Care will be available 24/7/365 and no appointments will be required. The center will have multiple on-site care services available including a walk-in behavioral health urgent care, a 23-hour crisis observation unit, and post-acute crisis support that will connect recently stabilized individuals to community-based resources and a long-term care provider.

“We're honored to partner with the dedicated leadership from Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry Counties to improve access to behavioral health crisis care," said Colin LeClair, chief executive officer for Connections Health Solutions. “A behavioral health crisis can happen anywhere, anytime. Connections has made it our mission to ensure that anyone in crisis knows that they are not alone and that a connection to high-quality treatment and care is available to them, without having to leave their community. We look forward to collaborating with local leaders, law enforcement, first responders, providers, and community-based resources to bring these life-saving services to the region.”

Connections Health Solutions was awarded the contract after responding to the request for proposal put out by the counties. Mobile crisis response and the walk-in crisis center are expected to open in 2024. For more information on the mobile crisis services and walk-in crisis center visit www.connectionshs.com/harrisburg. 

About Connections Health Solutions
For over 15 years, Connections Health Solutions has been helping communities architect and operate behavioral health crisis care systems that provide help to people when they need it most. As the leading innovator in immediate-access behavioral health crisis care, Connections strives to make behavioral health work better, delivering improved quality of care and cost savings across all behavioral health populations. Throughout the United States, Connections’ crisis response centers and mobile crisis units serve as the hub of the crisis system, offering services to all individuals in need in the safest and least restrictive setting. The Connections Model, recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing as best practice, combines both medical and recovery-oriented treatment designed to get people connected to resources and back to their lives faster. For more information and crisis resources visit connectionshs.com.

Contact:
Marissa Lawson, SVP, Marketing and Communications
media@connectionshs.com