Nov 13, 2019

New regional crisis center is open for business

Posted Nov 13, 2019 1:58 PM

Geary County Office Building, site of the Tuesday county commission meeting.


By DEWEY TERRILL

JC Post

The new regional crisis center that is based at 1558 Hayes Drive in Manhattan and serves a 10-county region opened on Nov. 4th. It is a 24 hour, seven-day a week facility that has 23 employees ranging from a director and therapists to mental health technicians.


Pawnee Mental Health Services Executive Director Robbin Cole told the members of the Geary County Commission on Tuesday that this is an outpatient facility service where people being treated spend the night. Admission is voluntary for patients, and they’re free to leave if they do not want to remain in the facility. Cole noted that if someone has committed a crime the crisis center is not an appropriate place for them and if they are arrested they will be put in jail. Also, if healthcare is required it is not an appropriate facility for the patient.


There are seven patients in the center right now, and that has been a consistent number since the third day after the 11-bed facility opened. One patient was being taken to the center from Geary County Tuesday afternoon.


Cole wanted to explain the value of the facility to the governing body.


“What I’m finding out is that commissioners generally seem to understand what it’s value is. It’s a facility that can reduce the number of people who are in our hospital’s emergency room in a mental health crisis by providing an alternative to that hospital emergency room”


Cole also added that because the center can intervene in people’s lives earlier rather than later it can reduce the number of people who commit a crime during an acute mental illness.