Crisis Receiving Center marks five years of service to county residents
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Henrico County and Parham Doctors’ Hospital are commemorating the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Henrico CIT Crisis Receiving Center, where individuals in psychiatric crisis can receive prompt care from a multidisciplinary team of health professionals.
The center, based in the emergency room at Parham Doctors’ Hospital, operates through a partnership between the hospital and Henrico’s Crisis Intervention Team, which includes representatives of the county’s Police and Fire divisions, Sheriff’s Office and Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services. More than 3,600 people have received assistance through the center since its debut on Dec. 3, 2012.
“Henrico’s Crisis Receiving Center helps to ensure that prompt, comprehensive and compassionate psychiatric care is available when it’s needed most,” said Nicki Moon, coordinator of Henrico’s CIT. “In the past, patients often had to endure long wait times to be evaluated by medical and clinical professionals, causing undue stress and prolonging their trauma.”
The center is designed to allow a team of medical, clinical, public safety and peer support staff to provide prompt, comprehensive care in a low-stress, safe and respectful setting. The goal is to promote mental health recovery by connecting patients with community resources and avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and incarcerations.
“After five years of having the Crisis Receiving Center at Parham Doctors’ Hospital, we continue to see positive patient outcomes from our partnership with Henrico County, the Henrico Police Division and our clinical team at the Crisis Receiving Center,” said Brian Allen, the hospital’s chief operating officer. “Our combined focus on caring for patients in crisis has led to improvements in identifying patients in need and providing appropriate treatment faster than ever before. I look forward to continuing the efforts of this program for many years to come.”
The center currently operates daily from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. The CIT hopes to eventually expand to a 24-hour operation. The facility includes two private rooms for patients and office space.
The center is a key initiative of the CIT program, which was established in 2008 to improve Henrico’s response and care for residents in psychiatric crisis. The CIT and its staff provide training to public safety personnel, offer outreach services to the community and seek to improve systems of care for residents.
For details about the CIT Crisis Receiving Center, call (804) 727-8607 or e-mail cit@henrico.us.
