Belmont Behavioral Health to open a new crisis response center in Delaware County.
Belmont Behavioral Health, a prominent mental health provider in the Philadelphia region, has been designated to address the urgent need for mental health crisis services in Delaware County. This decision follows the closure of Crozer Health earlier this year, which previously operated as the county’s sole 24/7 crisis center at Crozer-Chester Medical Center, providing vital mental health services to the community.
The Delaware County Council selected Belmont Behavioral Health last week to manage a new 24/7 crisis center specifically aimed at assisting individuals experiencing mental or behavioral health emergencies. This center will also include a mobile crisis unit equipped to respond effectively to 911 emergencies. County officials highlight that the crisis center is designed to provide immediate assistance to those in distress, a service that is often unavailable at general hospital facilities.
Staffed by a team of psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers trained specifically for mental health care, the crisis center will prioritize delivering specialized support to individuals in need. While the exact location of the center and the financial arrangements related to the initiative are still being finalized, officials project that Belmont’s services will gradually roll out over the upcoming months.
Since the closure of Crozer Health, nearby medical facilities such as Riddle Hospital in Media and Mercy Fitzgerald Medical Center in Darby have reported increased difficulty in meeting the rising demand for mental health services, leading to congested emergency rooms. In response to these challenges, Belmont aims to enhance access to critical mental health resources, thereby reducing the necessity for hospital admissions.
The forthcoming crisis center will incorporate expanded pediatric services and a stabilization unit, both critical components designed to minimize the number of patients transferred to inpatient psychiatric facilities. Owned by Acadia Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest providers of mental health services headquartered in Tennessee, Belmont operates several crisis centers and specialized facilities within Philadelphia and collaborates with local educational institutions to foster targeted training.
Discussions about the center’s operational vicinity are in process, with a projected timeline for the center’s opening anticipated within the next six months, according to Monica Taylor, chair of the county council. Additionally, the mobile crisis response unit is expected to commence operations within a month, poised to respond to emergencies in various settings, including homes and schools. Belmont’s leadership has expressed a commitment to collaborate with local first responders and hospitals to enhance training on managing mental health crises, further underscoring the organization’s dedication to improving mental health care accessibility in Delaware County.
Media News Source
