Connections opens emergency behavioral health crisis walk-in center in Harrisburg, PA

Company to operate walk-in center and mobile response unit to serve the behavioral health needs of Southcentral Pennsylvania

Connections Health Solutions, the leading innovator of immediate access emergency behavioral healthcare, today announced the opening of a new regional emergency behavioral health crisis walk-in center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The center, made possible by funding from Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties, will serve anyone over the age of 14 experiencing mental health and substance use emergencies. Centrally located at 1100 S. Cameron Street in Harrisburg, the center will provide walk-in care and crisis stabilization services, as well as housing the mobile crisis response team to respond to additional crises in the community. 

“With the Connections emergency behavioral health crisis walk-in center, by providing immediate access to all individuals in need, we believe we can radically reduce the use of emergency departments, jails, and unnecessary hospitalizations for mental health and substance use emergencies – allowing us to address individuals’ long-term treatment needs at a lower cost to the healthcare system,” said Colin LeClair, chief executive officer for Connections Health Solutions. “We’re appreciative of the leaders of Cumberland County, Dauphin County, and Perry County for their vision and partnership to bring a new model for accessible behavioral health crisis care to Southcentral Pennsylvania.”  

The Connections Health Solutions treatment model is recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing as a best practice for behavioral health care, and centers around providing treatment in the safest and least restrictive setting.   

The regional walk-in center and mobile crisis response services will be open 24/7/365 to individuals experiencing a behavioral health emergency. The center features a team of highly-skilled behavioral health professionals who provide care to adults and youth ages 14 and above through a walk-in behavioral health urgent care, 23-hour crisis stabilization services, and post-acute crisis support. Adult walk-in and crisis stabilization services launch today, with youth walk-in and crisis stabilization services starting in January. The mobile crisis team began operations on December 4 and is dispatched to assist youths of all ages and adults experiencing a behavioral health emergency to connect them to ongoing services. Care is provided to all regardless of insurance need or severity.  

Leaders expressed excitement for the emergency behavioral health crisis walk-in center and mobile services: 

• “Providing crisis care that addresses the unique needs of individuals is essential, and the emergency behavioral health crisis walk-in center and services are key to meeting this demand,” said Kelly Neiderer, Cumberland County Commissioner. “Through the collaboration between Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties, along with Connections, we can deliver vital care that eases the strain on first responders and hospitals. This partnership ensures individuals in crisis receive immediate, compassionate support, whether through mobile services that come directly to them or in a dedicated, treatment-focused space.” 

• “This new crisis walk-in center represents a vision and partnership that will enhance services where options don’t exist. This center presents an opportunity to triage and connect individuals with serious mental illnesses to services rather than the front door of the jail or emergency room,” said Dauphin County Commissioner George P. Hartwick III. “Intergovernmental cooperation between the leadership of Perry, Cumberland and Dauphin counties has demonstrated that mental health service solutions, as an alternative to state hospital institutions, happen at the local level. I look forward to continuing this partnership.” 

• “With this collaborative effort, Perry County residents and their neighbors in Cumberland and Dauphin counties will have a dedicated resource if they or their loved ones experience a mental health emergency, said Perry County Commissioner Frank Campbell. “This will truly be a lifesaver for so many in our communities.” 

Connections Health Solutions operates three of the largest emergency behavioral health response centers in the country, two in Arizona and one in Washington that opened in August of this year. Additionally, the company supports a mobile crisis response unit in Gallatin County, Montana, and recently opened a center in Virginia. The Company will operate two new crisis response centers in Woodbridge, Virginia and Montgomery County Pennsylvania in 2025, with several more planned in the next two years.