New behavioral health center offers walk-in mental health services at Lancaster General Hospital

Penn Lancaster. A female counselor holding a clibpoard and pen sits listening to a male patient

People in need of immediate help with mental health issues have a new option for treatment with the opening of the Behavioral Health Center at Lancaster General Hospital. Its Crisis Walk-In Center provides immediate behavioral health assessments and treatment, serving as a bridge to ongoing care.

The Interventional Psychiatry Program focuses on psychiatric conditions that don't respond well to first-line treatments. The center is expected to serve 900 patients annually for interventional psychiatry and 10,000 patients through the walk-in center, both in-person and by phone.

Patients visiting the walk-in center are greeted by a certified peer support specialist and connected with a registered nurse for a physical health assessment. If needed, they receive immediate counseling and are referred to the next level of service or scheduled for another appointment.

The center provides appointments and medication for up to 30 days before referring patients to longer-term services, aiming to reduce the boarding of low-risk behavioral health patients in the emergency department.

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