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Mental Health Access Center
What is an Access Center
Mental Health Access Centers are a new concept in Iowa. They provide crisis care for people experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis that requires immediate attention.
We will quickly assess your situation, provide services and supports to help alleviate your crisis and connect you to community-based services. In doing this, we believe we will ultimately reduce the number of unnecessary hospitalizations and arrests and create a healthier community.
The effort to create an Access Center in Linn County was led by the Linn County Board of Supervisors in partnership with local law enforcement, hospitals, and local mental health partners.
Linn County committed $3.5 million for start-up funding. Linn County's Mental Health Access Center is under the management of Linn County Community Services.
Location
The Linn County Mental Health Access Center will be located in the former Linn County Public Health building at 501 13th St. NW, Cedar Rapids.
The Access Center will open in 2021 following renovation of the building.
Services Provided
- Triage and screening
- Basic vitals
- Mental health screening
- Substance use disorder screening
- Suicide screening
- Crisis stabilization and observation
- Evaluation and treatment for those who need observation for a more thorough evaluation
- Crisis beds for longer stays to allow patients' stabilization to be discharged home safely
- Subacute services
- Treatment for those needing a more intensive form of mental health treatment (located offsite)
- Mental health services
- Psychiatric evaluations
- Counseling services
- Prescriber availability
- Peer services
- Substance use disorder services
- Sobering unit: A safe location for those who need to be monitored while sobering and allow an opportunity to discuss treatment options if need arises
- Medical detox: Medically assisted space for those who need to detox from drugs and alcohol and stabilize
- Screening and evaluation: Work with substance use professional to discuss treatment options
- Care coordination and referrals: Work with Access Center staff to address other underlying issues and make connections to other resources in the community
Key Service Providers
Access Center services will be provide by:
Service Limitations
The Access Center will not be able to serve:
- Individuals in need of immediate medical care
- Individuals who are violent at arrival or immediately prior to arrival with a likelihood that they will seriously hurt themselves, other patients, or our employees
- Minors 17 years old or younger
Information about how to use the Access Center services will be provided when the facility opens.
Contact Us
Contact Mental Health Access Center staff via email.
Pictured above:
Linn County Mental Health Access Center under renovation (former location of Linn County Public Health) June 2020