Podcast Debates Urgent Care for Mental Health

Centers dedicated to being efficient in a potential suicide and handling high-risk mental health situations are popping up in a number of US cities. They are funded typically from a combination of corporate, hospital, university and sometimes government funds, and they are designed to give police a better place to bring people who are in a crisis and free up crowded hospital ERs. In Springfield Missouri, Greene County commissioners and the leader of Burrell Behavioral Health created a 24-hour crisis center for mental health and addiction in February 2020 . Jail and ER avoidance is the goal, says Tom Prater, a co-chair of the Healthy Living Alliance's Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force. In Tampa Florida, the CEO for health system Baycare is pushing a similar model. A local pro sports team may even support it. In this 20-minute podcast, we talk about these new models, where they fit and triaging these high-risk situations:[audio mp3="https://thebehavioralhealthhour.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/crisis-support-to-prevent-suicide.mp3"][/audio]