New service expands access to mental health and crisis services
5/14/2014
WILKES-BARRE, PA (May 15, 2014) – An expansion of services at the new Crisis Response and Recovery Center on the grounds of Wilkes-Barre General Hospital will make it easier for individuals struggling with a mental health or psychiatric emergency crisis to access treatment. Beginning May 19, patients will no longer be required to go through the emergency department in order to obtain the necessary medical clearances when in crisis.
Provided by Community Counseling Services, the center is open 24 hours a day, seven days and week, and is located on the hospital grounds but separate from the emergency department. This means that patients can be transported directly to the center.
The Crisis Response and Recovery Center concept was created as an alternative to the emergency departments of acute care hospitals. It is staffed by members of a multidisciplinary team consisting of psychiatrists, internists, physician assistants, nurses, mental health professionals and certified peer specialists dedicated to stabilizing the individual’s crisis while providing a safe alternative to inpatient care.
The center provides immediate access to assessment and referral. Individuals seeking evaluation, crisis intervention and stabilization, or those who are looking to talk to a mental health professional can do so without having to visit the emergency department.
As of May 19, first responders may transport those experiencing a mental health crisis directly to the Crisis Response and Recovery Center at the ambulance bay of the old emergency department at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. Those who have been determined by medical command to have a more complex medical need should be taken to the new Wilkes-Barre General Hospital emergency department for primary medical care.
Individuals and families who would like to learn more about local services, programs and resources available to help cope with issues related to emotional or behavioral health may stop in the center at any time or call 1-855-600-6372.
