Featured Resources

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  • Crisis Response Center

  Post crisis services: How lower acuity crisis programs and post-discharge planning increase stabilization success 

  When a mental health crisis is averted, the journey to recovery is far from over. Comprehensive discharge planning is paramount to ensure individuals receive the ongoing support necessary for stabilization and to prevent future crises. A continuum of crisis programs, each tailored to varying levels of need, is essential for providing care in the least restrictive, most appropriate setting. 
   
  For those who no longer require intensive crisis intervention but still benefit from a supportive environment, lower acuity crisis programs offer a vital step-down level of care. These programs, often housed in home-like settings, provide a non-institutional atmosphere staffed primarily by peers and behavioral health clinicians. Services may include medically monitored detoxification or clinically managed sobering programs, depending on the facility's medical capabilities. Lengths of stay vary from under 24 hours in living rooms to several days or weeks in crisis residential programs. These programs play a crucial role in preventing or shortening inpatient admissions by offering a bridge to less intensive community-based services. 
   
  Urgent care clinics serve as a critical link to outpatient services, providing same-day access to assessment, crisis counseling, medication management, and care coordination. Staffed by psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social services staff, and often peer support specialists, these clinics function as the front door to the crisis system. Individuals can receive immediate attention, with the option for admission to a higher acuity 23-hour observation unit if necessary. Without urgent care, individuals may face extended waits for outpatient appointments, allowing their condition to potentially escalate. 
   
  Comprehensive discharge planning from crisis programs must consider the individual's ongoing needs and the availability of services in their community. This includes connection to outpatient therapy, support groups, and case management services, as well as addressing basic needs like housing and financial stability. By coordinating with community providers and social services agencies, crisis programs can ensure a smooth transition and reduce the likelihood of future crises. 
   
  Investing in a continuum of crisis programs, from intensive intervention to lower acuity step-down services and urgent care, is essential for providing the right level of care at the right time. Comprehensive discharge planning is the thread that weaves these services together, setting the stage for sustained recovery.

  Connections Health Solutions Oct 8, 2024
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  The four core components of a comprehensive crisis center

  The delivery of mental health services in emergency settings remains a significant challenge. Fragmented systems often struggle to provide the appropriate level of care at the critical moment when a person's crisis peaks. Comprehensive crisis centers offer a solution to this problem by integrating multiple levels of service within a single, coordinated system. 
   
  The "no wrong door" approach is central to the comprehensive crisis model. Irrespective of how an individual presents, the center is equipped to immediately initiate assessment and treatment. This eliminates the risk of a person in crisis being denied care due to lack of availability or inappropriate levels of service. 
   
  The comprehensive crisis center comprises four core components: 

  Connections Health Solutions Sep 4, 2024
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  • Crisis Roadmap

  Transforming behavioral health crisis care– a roadmap to an ideal system 

  In the United States, a community's response to a behavioral health crisis is often fragmented, inefficient, and inaccessible to those who need it most. In most communities, few treatment options are designed for and capable of safely managing the care of individuals in crisis. Additionally, the capacity of behavioral health services, both inpatient and outpatient, has struggled to keep up with rising patient volumes and requests for services. This challenge has been made worse by workforce shortages across the industry.   

  Connections Health Solutions Jun 20, 2024
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  • Peer Support

  The Profound Impact of Peer Support Specialists in Crisis Care

  Delivering immediate, high quality behavioral health crisis care to people in need is a team effort. At Connections Health Solutions, our team is comprised of individuals who each possess a different background and level of expertise, from the mental health professionals who work in our centers to the members of law enforcement we collaborate with in the communities we serve throughout Arizona, Montana, and soon Virginia and Washington state. Peer support specialists bring a unique type of experience to crisis care, making them an invaluable member of the Connections care team, as well as a person’s journey.

  Connections Health Solutions May 29, 2024