Montgomery County invests $18M in new emergency behavioral health crisis center

Montgomery County officials plan to revamp social services for those in immediate need by investing $18 million to open an emergency behavioral health crisis center.

An $18.1 million contract with Connections Health Solutions, of Phoenix, AZ, was authorized during a county commissioners meeting last week for a physical location that would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to aid people of all ages experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis.

“Anyone in the county will be able to walk in and receive comprehensive mental health support, no questions asked, and when people arrive, they will receive rapid care on site in a safe and calming environment,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Jamila Winder during a Monday press conference.

The center is slated to open in fall 2025, according to Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Neil Makhija, but a location has not yet been established.

Around one in five people experience mental illness, according to 2021 figures from the National Alliance for Mental Illness, which translates to 57.8 million people across the nation. Makhija noted that around 5,500 calls were made “regarding someone in [a] mental health crisis” to the county’s mobile crisis team in 2023, and 4,535 calls went to the National Suicide Hotline.

“We know there is a crisis in mental health right now afflicting not just our county, but the whole country,” Makhija said, adding that “the benefits of this new center will go beyond the people that it treats directly and be a bold investment in the future of Montgomery County and all of our residents.”

The eight-figure contract had several funding sources, $6 million coming from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Winder spotlighted former county commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Val Arkoosh who now heads the state department for the financial infusion.

Additional streams included federal and county COVID-19 relief dollars, a Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and opioid settlement funding, according to the contract.

Connections Health Solutions currently operates centers in Arizona, Montana and Virginia, according to Chief Growth Officer Matt Miller, with another slated to open in Harrisburg. The agreement with the Arizona-based company remains valid through June 30, 2025, but stipulates opportunities for four optional annual renewal terms.

Four other agencies responded to previously advertised requests for proposals: Belmont Behavioral Health System, of Philadelphia; Access Services, of Fort Washington; Eagleville Hospital, of Eagleville; and KidsPeace, of Schnecksville, Lehigh County.

Winder noted the initiative is a novel concept for Montgomery County aimed to aid residents in need.

“We hope this center can become a statewide, even national standard for emergency mental health care,” Winder said.

Makhija emphasized the county’s current medical facilities handle issues related to physical health, but stressed that more needs to be done to address mental health emergencies. He added that the facility’s organizational structure is expected to coordinate with first responders and nearby hospitals.

“We don’t have the equivalent for mental health, and that’s what this is going to provide,” he said. “Any resident of Montgomery County will be able to receive treatment for mental health issues or substance abuse disorders at this facility.”

“This program is the behavioral health equivalent to services offered in the emergency department of a physical health hospital,” said Dr. Tamra Williams, Montgomery County’s co-deputy chief operating officer and director of the county’s health and human services department.

Commissioner Tom DiBello also touched on the possibility of reaching the area’s growing homeless population. He emphasized the need to work with local nonprofits, providers and elected officials to implement an “end-to-end solution” to the mental health component of the crisis.

“There’s a large portion [of the homeless population] … that have mental health issues and addiction,” DiBello said. “I’m thrilled to be able to be part of this because this is another avenue for the homeless to walk in and receive the care that they so need.”

Hinting at a larger plan, Winder stressed how this new facility would have an impact on the ability for the county to provide health services to the area’s most vulnerable residents.

“This emergency center will become a part of an effective and coordinated system of mental health treatment and recovery, as well as peer support,” Winder said. “It will also serve as a point of intervention for those diagnosed with mental health and substance use issues who have involvement with our criminal justice system.

“So that a person experiencing a behavioral health crisis will not need to go to jail, because that’s the only safe place for them to go,” she continued. “This center will be that safe place for them to go. My goal is to build a coordinated people-centered system of services right here in Montgomery County, a system that saves lives and keeps our whole community safe.”

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