Crisis Stabilization Unit Services

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Crisis stabilization units (CSUs) provide short-term psychiatric stabilization, reduce inpatient and emergency department utilization, and promote connections to community-based and residential programs as a critical component of the broader continuum of care. The goal of a CSU is to provide immediate behavioral health stabilization services that assist with reducing the severity of a person’s level of distress associated with a serious mental illness or co-occurring disorder in a recovery-oriented environment. These services, lasting less than 24 hours, include a mental health evaluation and psychiatric assessment, crisis intervention, medication management, collateral, and disposition planning to include linkage to ongoing outpatient services. The North Coastal Live Well Health Center CSU delivers these services as part of the County of San Diego’s regionally distributed continuum of care in a state-of-the-art facility that provides dignified care and a positive experience for persons in behavioral health crisis.