JONESBORO, Ark. (August 31, 2021) – St. Bernards Behavioral Health (SBBH) announced Tuesday it will begin a partnership with Craighead County on October 1 to operate the county’s 16-bed Regional Crisis Stabilization Unit.
The crisis stabilization unit (CSU), located at 837 Willett Road in Jonesboro, serves 20 counties in Northeast Arkansas. One of four CSUs in the State of Arkansas, the Craighead County unit provides an alternative to jails and emergency rooms for people in crisis who encounter law enforcement. Governor Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas State Legislature created the four units under Act 423 of 2017. Craighead County’s CSU began its service as a new construction in 2019 under the direction of Mid-South Health Systems.
St. Bernards Behavioral Health Assistant Vice President Kevin Byron said he appreciates Mid-South Health Systems laying a solid foundation and developing the CSU.
“St. Bernards Behavioral Health has always had great partnershipswith other regional providers,” Byron said. “We intend to work together to ensure a seamless transition of care.”
Byron said SBBH plans to provide services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition, the CSU will receive access to SBBH psychiatry, nursing, licensed therapy and discharge planning staff.
“The continued growth and success of this facility is paramount,” Byron said. “St. Bernards remains committed to the mental wellness needs of Northeast Arkansas.”
As quick background, a CSU itself can provide no more than 16 inpatient beds, admitting individuals who experience a mental health crisis and whose needs cannot be met safely in residential service settings.
Patients are admitted on both voluntary and involuntary bases, providing a safe, secure environment less restrictive than a hospital. A CSU aims to stabilize patients quickly before releasing them into the community.
Arkansas’ other three CSUs operate in Little Rock, Fort Smith and Fayetteville.
For more information, visit https://www.stbernards.info/ or call the St. Bernards Healthline at (870) 207-7300.
St. Bernards Healthcare, a non-profit healthcare system based in Northeast Arkansas, serves as the corporate parent of a number of healthcare entities, including the largest hospital in the region, St. Bernards Medical Center, a 440-bed acute care hospital that serves as a regional referral center for 23 counties in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. It is the only Level III Trauma Center in the region, houses the only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the eastern part of Arkansas and has served as the trusted provider of comprehensive, compassionate healthcare services for 121 years. For more information, please visit stbernards.info or call the St. Bernards Healthline at 870.207.7300.
Press Release
Be the first to comment