When someone needs help now: strengthening the front door to behavioral health care

When someone is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, the first question is simple: where can they get help right now?

Too often, the answer is the emergency department, not because it is always the best fit, but because other options may be limited, hard to access, or disconnected from the broader system of care. For communities working to build a stronger behavioral health continuum, crisis response is one of the most important places to start.

A stronger crisis system begins by creating easier, more appropriate ways for people to connect with support before a situation escalates. That may include mobile response, behavioral health urgent care, telehealth, crisis receiving services, or other access points that meet individuals where they are. The specific model may look different from one community to another, but the purpose is the same: provide timely help in a setting that matches the person’s needs.

Access, however, is only the beginning. For many individuals, a crisis response must also include short-term stabilization and a clear connection to what comes next. Without that bridge, individuals may cycle back through emergency departments, law enforcement, or inpatient settings because the system addressed the immediate moment but did not support recovery beyond it.

The Tucson experience offers a helpful example of what a more responsive crisis system can look like. A study of more than 41,000 crisis episodes in Pima County, Arizona, found that 57.4% of individuals entered the crisis system through mobile crisis or crisis facilities rather than the emergency department or an inpatient setting. 63.3% of individuals did not require additional crisis or emergency services within 30 days of their visit.

Those findings point to an important lesson for communities: crisis care works best when it is more than a single point of contact. It needs to include rapid access, the ability to stabilize people safely, and a pathway to continued support after the immediate crisis has passed.

Investing in crisis response is not just about relieving pressure on emergency departments, law enforcement, and inpatient beds. It is about creating a system that can intervene earlier, respond more appropriately, and keep people connected to care.

For a deeper look, read our Essential Behavioral Health Care report to learn about the essential services every community needs and a practical path for building stronger, more sustainable systems of care.

SOURCES:

https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ps.20230232

Study Reveals Potential Impact of Behavioral Health Crisis Systems