Several of the Network for Advancing Behavioral Health (NABH) partners currently offer specialized urgent care services for adults and children facing a behavioral health and/or substance use crisis but do not have medical issues such as an injury or medical illness. The NABH members have made these necessary urgent care services available in response to the escalating need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The change and uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic impacts people in different ways. Individuals with behavioral health and/or substance use diagnoses may experience an increase in symptoms related to our world’s and our community’s situation.
Serving Those Facing a Behavioral Health/Substance Use Crisis
When a person experiences a behavioral health or substance use crisis, their first reaction is often to go to the closest hospital emergency room – even if they do not have a medical issue. Fortunately, several members of our community’s NABH have urgent care services with extended hours to serve adults and children facing a behavioral health or substance use crisis. Utilizing these specialized services frees up emergency rooms to focus on caring for those patients with COVID-19 and other medical issues.
“Several of our NABH partners have the expertise and the behavioral health specialists in place to readily help individuals in crisis who do not have a medical issue, such as a physical injury or illness, that would otherwise be treated at a hospital,” says Tom Klatt, executive director, WakeMed Behavioral Health Network.
“While all are welcome in our emergency departments, Monarch, SouthLight, Carolina Outreach and MindPath now have behavioral health and substance use urgent care services, including video and phone conferencing, to better connect and assess individuals in crisis. Our NABH members are dedicated to meeting the specialized clinical needs of our behavioral health patients by providing much needed support/services to the behavioral health community during this unprecedented time.”
Special Services for Adults & Children in Behavioral Health or Substance Use Crisis
If you are suffering a behavioral health or substance use issue and you do not have a medical problem that also requires treatment, there are more appropriate care options for you than your local emergency room.
Specialists are offering special services, such as urgent behavioral health care, extended hours and phone/video assessments and visits.
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