When people are in a mental health crisis, the emergency department is not always the most ideal place to be treated. 

It’s chaotic, hectic and jarring to people who are already under a lot of stress, and most emergency departments don’t have psychiatrists on staff to assist patients in crisis, according to an April 22 article published in the Mental Health Journal.

There is another option for people who are in a crisis.

Community support programs, like the Howard Center, have partnered with the UVM Medical Center to create a facility that is calming, trauma-informed and person-centered, according to Charlotte McCorkel, senior director of client services at the Howard Center.

The brand new Mental Health Urgent Care opened on Monday, Oct. 28 at 1 South Prospect St., and is currently serving adults in mental health crises at no charge. 

The MHUC describes the purpose of its program as a way to reduce unnecessary emergency department visits by offering person-centered and trauma-informed care for those in need of immediate mental health support. 

“In an emergency department, they have to triage based on what is most emergent in terms of life-saving interventions, and mental health urgent care is first-come-first-serve,” McCorkel said.

They are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the possibility of increasing hours in the future. If clients need services after hours, they would have to consider other options like a call center. 

First Call for Chittenden County is a crisis support line where responders can provide support as well as connect callers to other resources. They take calls 24/7/365 and their number is (802) 488-7777.

McCorkel, who is now MHUC project co-lead, hopes the Mental Health Urgent Care will fill gaps that the emergency department can’t. 

“We want to treat people as they come in and slow down and take time to hear their story and hear what’s going on for them,” she said.

The Mental Health Urgent Care is connected to outpatient mental health and physical health providers at the UVM Medical Center on 1 South Prospect St., where service users can receive ongoing services if needed.

With MHUC fully funded for three years, clients can expect no charge for the services they receive, with the exception of physical health medical care services which would be covered by insurance. 

In the future, McCorkel said her goal for the program is to continue to apply for grants or look to the state of Vermont for funding.

Under Vermont law, anyone who is brought to the emergency room in an ambulance or arrives at the emergency room themselves must be assessed and treated there, meaning they are not allowed to be transferred to the Mental Health Urgent Care. 

Patients, however, can be advised to visit the Mental Health Urgent Care as part of their discharge plan, and staff can recommend patients consider visiting the clinic in the event of a future mental health crisis. 

MHUC Program Director Tim Durney emphasized the importance of comfortability and openness and how these factors are important to consider when catering to people in crisis. 

“The unknown can be scary,” Durney said. “Even if somebody isn’t in crisis now, if they want to stop by and get a feel for the space please stop in.  Should they be in a different headspace at [another] time, they can be in a familiar space, know the layout.”

All members of the community are welcome to check out the MHUC and consider a more person-centered option for mental health care, should they ever need it.

“We’ve created this program to be a program for everyone in our community,” McCorkel said. “This service is designed for absolutely anyone who’s needing immediate support in a mental health crisis.”

The MHUC is accepting donations through the Howard Center.

 For more information, contact the development and communication office at (802) 488-6913 or via email at [email protected].