Morgan Matthews is the Vice President of Business Development for Connections Health Solutions. Below she answers questions from Kirkland Lifestyle.
Tell us about the Crisis Response Center and when it will open.
Connections Kirkland Crisis Response Center will open mid-2024. The multi-service 24/7 behavioral health care crisis response center will be a safe, dedicated space for high-quality care and treatment, serving individuals experiencing the full spectrum of behavioral health crises (such as anxiety or panic attacks, depression, thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or other behavioral health or substance use crises).
We treat anyone in need. Individuals seeking our care will receive respectful, discreet, and personalized care in a safe environment by a team that is committed to helping address their crisis and help them on their road to recovery.
How has the 988 crisis number changed emergency response?
The implementation of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has significantly changed emergency response by providing a dedicated and easily accessible hotline for individuals in crisis. 988 is designed to replace the traditional 911 number for mental health emergencies and connect individuals in crisis with trained professionals who can talk or text with them to help address their symptoms, dispatch a mobile crisis response team, and get them connected to the care and resources that they need.
Similar to the development of the 911 emergency response system, which took years to evolve into a comprehensive system involving ambulances, emergency rooms, and trauma centers, 988 represents a foundational step toward a dedicated mental health emergency response system. By providing immediate assistance and guidance during crises, 988 aims to address mental health emergencies with the same urgency and specificity as 911 does for physical emergencies. This shift emphasizes the significance of prioritizing access to mental health care and connecting individuals to the care and treatment they need.
988 is just the beginning. SAMHSA’s long-term vision is that every community will have access to a robust and well-coordinated crisis system that ensures everyone has someone to call (988), someone to respond (mobile crisis), and somewhere to go (crisis facilities) and King County is well on its way to having the necessary crisis continuum that gets people the right help, at the right time, in the right setting.
How has emergency response to mental health issues as a whole changed in the last few years?
In the past few years, we have seen a shift to a "health-first" response that connects people to the mental health care and treatment they need faster. In cities and counties that have implemented a crisis continuum, individuals are getting immediate access to treatment instead of being taken to jail or boarding in an emergency department for days until a space opens up at an inpatient treatment facility. We are seeing stronger, more collaborative partnerships with law enforcement and mental health professionals through mobile response programs (such as Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) teams and Regional Crisis Response (RCR) programs) and crisis response centers (like what is being built in Kirkland), ensuring that anyone experiencing a crisis receives the highest quality of care without having to leave their community.
To learn more about the services that will be provided at Connections Kirkland visit connectionshs.com/nkc.