When counties build crisis care together

In many regions, behavioral health crises don’t stop at county lines — but access to care often does. In the East, counties and state partners recognized that fragmented systems were leaving people with few options beyond emergency departments or the justice system.

The response was collaborative, deliberate, and outcome‑driven.

Virginia marked a turning point.

It was the first state where Connections brought its crisis response model outside of Arizona, working closely with community partners to address a clear gap: timely, local access to crisis stabilization.

Today, two centers in Northern Virginia provide immediate, clinically appropriate care for individuals in crisis — keeping people closer to home and reducing pressure on hospitals and law enforcement. Early outcomes demonstrated that the model could adapt to a new policy environment while maintaining consistent performance.

Virginia centers:

• Chantilly: Connections opened the Chantilly center in June 2024. The first-of-its-kind center is a 16-bed crisis stabilization unit (CSU) serving high-acuity individuals with behavioral health needs from across Northern Virginia.  
  

• Woodbridge: Opened in October 2025, the Woodbridge center offers immediate access crisis services to both youth and adults. Its early outcomes demonstrate a rapidly growing impact and a more coordinated response for the community. 

Download the report to view the region's impressive outcomes.

In Pennsylvania, counties took a regional approach.

Starting in the state capital and expanding soon to the Philadelphia metropolitan area, partners focused on building a connected network rather than a single site.

The result has been faster access to care, reduced reliance on emergency departments, and meaningful relief for public systems. Mobile crisis services, facility‑based stabilization, and strong cross‑county coordination now work together to meet demand more effectively.

Our Harrisburg center serves as a critical resource for the capital region, offering 24/7/365 access to crisis care through a walk-in urgent care and 23-hour observation units that serves youth and adults, and mobile crisis response services that serve all ages.

See how counties made it work.

Download the 2025 Community Impact Report to explore Connections outcomes,

site‑level data, and how county partnerships translated into measurable system impact.