CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Three counties in south-central Pennsylvania are teaming up to address the worsening mental health crisis.
On Monday, officials from Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry Counties announced plans to open a 24/7 regional emergency walk-in behavioral health crisis center, along with a mobile crisis response unit.
“With this partnership in front of you, it’s a historic day," said Dauphin County Commissioner, George P. Hartwick, III.
Over the last several years, the demand for mental health services has outweighed the resources across the region, according to county leaders.
They say there's been too much dependence on emergency rooms and law enforcement as primary crisis responders.
“We will continue to value those partnerships and we will need their support, but there’s so much work the rest of us need to do," said Andrea Kepler, administrator for Dauphin County Mental Health, Autism and Developmental Programs. "This is an opportunity for us to do it.”
The new walk-in center will be located in approximately 15,000 square feet of office space at 1100 S. Cameron Street in Harrisburg.
Renovations and construction are expected to begin in early 2024, with plans to open the center by the end of next year.
It will be operated by Connections Health Solutions, a national behavioral health crisis care provider whose crisis response care model has been recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing as best practice.
The center will provide 24/7 care to any child or adult who needs it, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. No appointments will be required to access care.
“One of the key ingredients that has been lacking is the concept of peer support, and people with lived experience from mental illness and substance use disorders," explained Annie Strite, administrator for Cumberland/Perry County Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. "At this walk-in center, that will be covered.”
In addition, the center will accept 100% of first responder behavioral health emergent care patient drop-offs, including police and EMS, with a dedicated entrance and intake area for those patients.
Treatment and observation programs will be available at all times and staffed by medical practitioners, clinical and nursing staff, mental health professionals and case management personnel.
Connections will also operate a mobile crisis response program. It will be made up of two units that provide community-based intervention to individuals at home, work, or wherever they may need services.
There is no local match requirement for the more than $17.5 million project cost.
The three counties partnered to apply for a state grant to help fund the center. The Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services awarded the counties nearly $13.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, while the Capital Area Behavioral Health Collaborative (CABHC) reinvestment funds took care of the remaining $4.5 million for the project.
“The concept of regionalization is scary to an extent but when you think about the common good that can come from the sharing of resources, certainly from a financial standpoint, we can’t afford to do this on our own," added Kepler.
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