September 02, 2024
Provided Image/Merakey Communications
Philadelphia's new Merakey Mental Health Walk-In Clinic, near North Broad Street and Allegheny Avenue, will offer counseling and referrals for people with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. It opens Tuesday.
Rates of depression, anxiety and other behavioral health issues have been increasing in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties in recent years, mirroring nationwide trends.
About 22% of Philadelphia residents reported having a diagnosis for depression between 2015 and 2021. Frequent mental stress among adults is worsening in the city, and so are suicidal ideation and attempts among teens, according to the most recent data from the Philadelphia Department of Health. The same is true in Montgomery County, where the mobile crisis team received 5,500 new calls in 2023 for mental health emergencies, drug overdoses and other related issues.
To address the growing need for immediate services, and to help alleviate the burden on emergency departments where people often go for mental health and addiction treatment, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties are opening behavioral health crisis clinics that will function much like urgent care clinics for physical health.
Philadelphia's new mental health walk-in clinic – that will offer psychiatric evaluations, day-of counseling services, urgent prescription refills and referrals to more intensive care – opens Tuesday near Broad Street and Allegheny Avenue. Montgomery County is investing $18 million in a new crisis clinic for people with mental health and substance use disorders. It is slated to open in 2025 at a location still to be determined.
"Often times, mental health (disorders) and drug addiction are misunderstood," Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chair Jamila H. Winder said. "It's stigmatized, and patients that are dealing with these challenges and their families often times don't know where to go."
And with the growing number of people in crisis with addiction and mental health issues, "emergency rooms are being flooded," Winder said.
When Montgomery County's new crisis clinic opens, anyone with urgent behavioral health needs will be able to walk in, 24/7, and receive help from specialists, Winder said. Emergency responders, as well as the county's mobile crisis team, also will transport people to the clinic.
In addition, the clinic will have a handful of beds for the "growing rise of children who are struggling with mental health challenges," Winder said.
The clinic will help stabilize children experiencing psychiatric and addiction crises and then refer them for inpatient or outpatient treatment. Adults will receive same-day assessments at the clinic and be connected to other providers in the community if needed, Winder said.
Connections Health Solutions, based in Phoenix, will provide services at Montgomery County's walk-in clinic. The company specializes in behavioral health crisis services around the country, including other parts of Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia's walk-in center will serve people with depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders who need help and don't know where else to go. Though it is not specifically aimed at addressing substance use disorders, staffers will be able to help stabilize people with substance use disorders and refer them to outside addiction services, even providing transportation, said Nicole Connell, senior executive director at Merakey – a large behavioral health provider in Philadelphia that the city has contracted to run its new facility.
People having thoughts of harming themselves or others should call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or go to one of five crisis response centers in the city. They are open 24-hours-a-day. Residents can access non-emergency, routine behavioral health treatment through outpatient resources available through Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and disAbility Services. The walk-in clinic will bridge the gap between these services, Connell said.
"Individuals who are not in an emergency or in a crisis – who still have a need that requires some immediate intervention or support and can't wait seven to 30 days for an appointment with a mental health professional – they can come to see us to get that immediate need met," Connell said.
The clinic will offer short counseling sessions with therapists, who will help determine the best next steps. Clients will have access to peer support by trained people who have experienced mental health issues. The clinic will offer case management for those who need ongoing support or help with non-clinical problems, such as accessing health insurance, and will treat people regardless of insurance status, Connell said.
The ultimate goal is to connect people with treatment before it becomes a crisis, Connell said.
"Some people, if they meet with someone early on ... they may only need a session or two, or a few sessions, to get back on track," she said. "Sometimes, you just need a moment."
If you are in crisis, call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
