Behavioral Health Crisis Center celebrates 10th anniversary

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Behavioral Health Crisis Center of Eastern Idaho celebrated 10 years of service Friday afternoon.

It has helped more than 8,800 people in the community. Their 24-hour services are free to anyone with a mental health or substance abuse crisis. Law enforcement and hospitals also help by referring people to keep them out of jail or the emergency room.

"There been countless issues through COVID and through the fentanyl issue where without this crisis center community, there would've so many individuals that would've had no where to go for crisis," said Bonneville County Commissioner Bryon Reed. "And all they needed was a place to be able to have some support and have some counseling."

This center also partners with other local agencies, like The Center for Hope, to provide resources to those in crisis. DeVere Hunt, CEO of Rehabilitative Health Services, hopes to reach out to everyone in the community who needs help.

"Sometimes we're the best kept secret and we don't want to be a secret," Hunt said. "We want to be able to have our community know we're here and recognize we're here. And give us the opportunity to help them in any way we can."

Crisis centers like this one have spread to every region of Idaho. They've also created a center for youth in crisis. The center expects to help even more people in rural Idaho who call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and get referred to the crisis center.