SCRANTON, Pa. — Melanie Galli showed Newswatch 16 around the Crisis Receiving Stabilization Unit at the Scranton Counseling Center. It's the newest addition to the center that will provide a place for adults from Lackawanna and Susquehanna Counties to seek help for urgent mental health concerns.
"They will be receiving individual therapy. There will also be group therapy. We can also do resource coordination and get them linked up to a mental health provider if they're not linked up like a primary care provider as well," Galli said.
The eight-bed unit will give patients in crisis a place to get help for 72 hours. There is also a separate entrance so patients can be evaluated when they are brought in.
"People can come in as a walk-in. Family or friends can drop them off here. We can also have police officers bring them in an ambulance."
Galli says adding this facility was necessary because every minute counts when someone is in crisis.
"Right now, if an individual is in crisis, they are going into the emergency room. The emergency rooms see higher numbers of individuals, and then ultimately, the majority of them get discharged back into the community."
The counseling center sees more patients who are struggling, especially this time of year.
"After Christmas, we do see an increase in crisis events," Galli said. "During Christmas, it's kind of a little bit of a lull, but then once after the holidays, like January, February, March, we are seeing definitely more crisis—events happening, people in crisis state."
The facility opens for patients on Friday, January 5th. You can find more information about the Crisis Receiving Stabilization Unit here.