Running header: PROPOSING A NEW INITIATIVE: CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER

Proposing a New Initiative: Crisis Stabilization Center

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PROPOSING A NEW INITIATIVE: CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER 2

Economic Viability

Community-based care for mental illness works to bridge behavioral health parity in

health crisis circumstances. The existing gap predisposes patients to behavioral health crises to

seek treatment from hospital emergency departments with increased healthcare expenditure. The

need for immediate treatment for psychological needs creates long wait hours to access care. A

Crisis Stabilization Center provides alternative suicide prevention services, addressing the

growing need for behavioral health treatment to ensure distressed individuals access satisfactory

care (Saxon et al., 2018). The healthcare organization stands to benefit economically and through

improved care provision since Crisis Stabilization Center promotes increased service hours,

quick services, reduced costs, and reduced wait time.

The health care organization located in an area recording high mental illness crisis

requires urgent intervention to ensure care provision remains satisfactory and highly effective.

The rising number of mental illness cases among youths and adults strains current behavioral

health resources. A Crisis Stabilization Center provides an opportunity for the health

organization to provide easier access to referral centers patients end up in after consultation with

the emergency department (Mukherjee & Saxon, 2019). The organization's health records

demonstrate a high number of behavioral health concerns like suicide attempts receiving

treatment/assessment in the emergency department. Through the Crisis Stabilization Center, the

organization caters to the prevention of behavioral health crises while reducing acute symptoms

of mental illness due to continued 24/hour observation and supervision to minimize inpatient

admissions (Saxon et al., 2018). The center allows the healthcare organization to redirect

inpatient services to other healthcare services enhancing prompt service delivery in other

healthcare departments.
PROPOSING A NEW INITIATIVE: CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER 3

According to National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Best Practices, Crisis

Stabilization Centers provide short-term observation to all referrals within a home-like non-

hospital environment (SAMHSA, n.d). The initiative addresses recovery needs at the community

level synonymous with large healthcare organizations creating expansive employment

opportunities for more staff hence additional income for the health organization. At the

community level, Crisis Stabilization Center offers 24-hour/7 days week access for behavioral

health patients at subsidized costs. Due to increased accessibility of services and a patient-

centered approach, patients access high-quality services at an affordable rate. Easier access to

healthcare promotes increased health-seeking habits ensuring the healthcare organization closes

the existing health disparity in mental illness treatment.

Any initiative geared towards the promotion of quality improvement in care delivery

demands adherence to ethics and cultural equitability. In healthcare operations, ethics guide the

conduct of care practitioners to ensure all initiatives promote quality improvement. The Crisis

Stabilization Center initiative enhances the availability of telephone services and short-term

residential treatment, and, promotes increased safety/security for all individuals facing a

psychological crisis (Mukherjee & Saxon, 2019). Cultural equitability through short-term

residential treatment will allow for improved quality care since staff members are culturally

competent (Castillo et al., 2019). Emphasis on cultural training remains a key aspect of the

initiative given the diversity of the community. Staff from diverse cultural backgrounds are

employed to cater to the diverse community. The initiative considers language and cultural

practices/beliefs while administering behavioral treatment. Close analysis of previous care

delivery approaches within the general healthcare setting provides insights into measures for
PROPOSING A NEW INITIATIVE: CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER 4

improvement ensuring all loopholes are sealed and patients at the community level access an

upgraded version of psychological needs to reduce symptoms of mental illness.

Ethics in the initiative takes form through creating a system for accountability for

professional responsibility, supervision, and management of care (Castillo et al., 2019). Service

provision through the Crisis Stabilization Center features patient-centered programs designed to

meet patients’ interests with a low potential for patient harm. All staff outsourced to help run the

Crisis Stabilization Center must be competent through training with necessary credentials, and

experience. The staffs are under supervision from a care provider from the healthcare

organization to ensure high standards of service delivery are met while improving on specific

areas. Therapy as a form of treatment offered at the center requires that care providers obtain

informed consent before the commencement of treatment. Ethical standards of confidentiality

and conflict of interest are reinforced to ensure quality improvement on specified services.

Analysis of Economic Factors of Supply and Demand

The healthcare organization records a growing demand for behavioral health services

given the rapid increase in the prevalence of mental health illnesses. With a diverse population

negatively impacted by mental health illness, the establishment of a Crisis Stabilization Center

will benefit thousands of residents around and across neighboring communities. A health

organization serving a large population attending to a myriad of health issues daily stands to

promote quality improvement in the delivery of behavioral health care with the introduction of a

Crisis Stabilization Center. A high number of patients against a limited number of care providers

indicate the increased demand for an additional service line for behavioral health. Overwhelming

scheduling of appointments for mental health and high records of patients at the emergency room

seeking life-saving treatment highlight a rise in service care demand against a handful of
PROPOSING A NEW INITIATIVE: CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER 5

practitioners. A Crisis Stabilization Center offers easier access to trained mental health experts

on a 24-hour availability, close observation, and reduced cost of care.

Overloads witnessed in the emergency room hinder quality service delivery. Patients with

behavioral health needs require intensive care to minimize the symptoms and enhance healthier

living given the potential for the development of chronic mental illness. Establishing a Crisis

Stabilization Center will contribute to improved access to quality care by bridging the supply-

demand gap (Balfour et al., 2022). The high demand for quality mental illness care certifies the

need for integration of the Crisis Stabilization Center. To successfully implement this proposed

initiative the healthcare organization’s board of directors must be involved. A budget must be

established and sources of funding identified to ensure the project is sustainable. Due to the high

demand for specialized mental health services, the initiative stands to benefit the community and

allow the healthcare organization to improve the quality of services offered.

Relevance of Economic and Environmental Data

A Crisis Stabilization Center stands to benefit the community and healthcare at large.

Community members get easy and cost-effective access to mental health treatment, more

behavioral health care providers are employed, and the organization earns extra revenue from

services offered. The geographical location of the healthcare organization predisposes it to

higher economic gains given the identification of a surge in mental health issues among the

population. Quality care improvement is guaranteed with the new establishment of the Crisis

Stabilization Center making the initiative a viable economic opportunity.

PROPOSING A NEW INITIATIVE: CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER 6

Conclusion

In summation, setting up a Crisis Stabilization center will ease the growing burden on the

provision of quality care for behavioral health issues. Accessibility, affordability, and quality

care for patients propose a viable opportunity to improve the quality of care. The healthcare

organization stands to earn additional revenue hence the establishment is a lucrative economic

opportunity.
PROPOSING A NEW INITIATIVE: CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER 7

References

Balfour, M. E., Hahn Stephenson, A., Delany-Brumsey, A., Winsky, J., & Goldman, M. L.

(2022). Cops, clinicians, or both? Collaborative approaches to responding to behavioral

health emergencies. Psychiatric Services, 73(6), 658-

669. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000721

Castillo, E. G., Ijadi-Maghsoodi, R., Shadravan, S., Moore, E., Mensah, M. O., Docherty, M.,

Aguilera Nunez, M. G., Barcelo, N., Goodsmith, N., Halpin, L. E., Morton, I., Mango, J.,

Montero, A. E., Rahmanian Koushkaki, S., Bromley, E., Chung, B., Jones, F.,

Gabrielian, S., Gelberg, L., … Wells, K. B. (2019). Community interventions to promote

mental health and social equity. Current Psychiatry

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Mukherjee, D., & Saxon, V. (2019). “Psychological boarding” and community-based behavioral

health crisis stabilization. Community Mental Health Journal, 55(3), 375-

384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-018-0237-9

Reynolds, L., & Sariola, S. (2018). The ethics and politics of community engagement in global

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268. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2018.1449598

SAMHSA. (n.d.). National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit

Executive Summary. SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/national-guidelines-for-

behavioral-health-crisis-services-executive-summary-02242020.pdf
PROPOSING A NEW INITIATIVE: CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER 8

Saxon, V., Mukherjee, D., & Thomas, D. (2018). Behavioral health crisis stabilization centers: A

new normal. JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, 2(3),

23-26. https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-2959/2018/3.1124