The Connections Regional Crisis Walk-In Center building
In Harrisburg, there will soon be a new place for those with behavioral health issues to receive help.
Dauphin County announced on Tuesday its plans to create a Connections Regional Crisis Walk-In Center to provide 24/7 assistance and resources.
The 15,000-square-foot center will be located on the first floor of a building at 1100 S. Cameron Street, which also houses the county’s Case Management Unit.
“We are recognizing that we are not able to meet the needs of our community successfully,” said Annie Strite, mental health/intellectual and developmental disabilities administrator and mental health director for the county. “We want to do an excellent job serving our community.”
According to Strite, the need for the center became evident to the county as the number of people struggling with mental health issues has continued to rise nationally and locally post-COVID.
The new center is a joint project between Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties and will serve as a resource for the region. The project will cost $17.5 million and utilizes state and federal funding.
The county expects the center to open by the end of 2024.
The crisis center will function similarly to an emergency room where people can receive immediate assistance in a crisis, but will be dedicated to serving those with mental health and addiction issues. Anyone can walk in to the center at any time, regardless of their insurance status.
The center will offer a new peer counseling program for those struggling with a mental health issue or walking through the recovery process.
“People want to talk to somebody who has walked that walk and that experience,” said Andrea Kepler, administrator of Dauphin County mental health/autism/developmental programs.
People will also be able to receive emergency medication prescriptions and access psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and case management personnel. The center will be operated by national mental health care provider Connections Health Solutions.
Both Strite and Kepler recognize that often law enforcement officials have had to perform the role of mental health providers, which has led to criminal justice-focused responses to behavioral crises, rather than clinical approaches. They also have seen how often people with serious behavioral issues end up in emergency rooms, which don’t always have the resources or capacity to help them.
At the new center, they hope to create a place where people can get help that is catered to their needs, and fast.
“We envision a comforting environment where you are greeted and addressed as a human being within minutes,” Kepler said. “We will say ‘yes’ to helping everyone.”
Additionally, mobile crisis intervention units will respond to 9-1-1 calls regionally, around the clock.
Within the center, there will be separate areas for children and adults to receive assistance. According to Strite, the county has seen a significant increase in the use of crisis intervention for children under 13 years old over the past few years.
The facility will include interview rooms for providers to meet with clients and lounge areas for people to sit.
While there is currently a national shortage of psychiatric care and those seeking help are often placed on long waiting lists to get help, the center fills that gap locally, providing immediate resources to those in need.
“This is a center for everyone,” Kepler said. “We will challenge ourselves to create a pathway for everyone looking for services.”
For more information, visit Dauphin County’s website.
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