Bonneville County makes history with Crisis Center
Bonneville County and Idaho officials officially opened the state’s first Behavioral Health Crisis Center Monday.
“I think it’s going to be a real asset for our local community, but also for this whole upper valley and this side of the state,” said Bonneville County Commissioner Roger Christensen.
The 24-hour outpatient clinic will help people struggling with depression, thoughts of suicide, addiction or mental health issues. The county said the center’s mission is not only to keep individuals out of emergency rooms and jails, but to minimize county resources in the event of a behavioral health crisis.
“When somebody comes in with a crisis and they’re suicidal a lot of time they’ll have to go up to the emergency room at the hospital and an officer will have to sit with them for hours taking that officer off the street and not getting them back (to other duties),” Christensen said.
The Idaho Legislature approved the funding of a crisis center at Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s request. His original request was for three separate facilities throughout the state, but legislators decided to fund a pilot before investing in two other facilities. Otter said the legislators thought Idaho Falls would be the best place to initiate that pilot.
“Going on past experience and our ability to work successfully in the court system and other behavioral problems and juvenile problems, with Idaho Falls we’ve had great success because the community wraps their arms around these ideas … and they make them become a reality,” said Otter.
The facility will accept citizens from all counties and cities, 18 years of age or older. Center Coordinator Brenda Price said the center, which will be run by Rehabilitative Health Services, is intended to fill a health care gap by providing assessment, referral, and case management services. Over the next few months to a year, Price will provide reports and feedback to legislators, before they make a decision to establish additional facilities throughout the state.
