Crisis Services

Four County Mental Health Center, Inc. Serving Chautauqua, Elk, Montgomery and Wilson County, Kansas

CRISIS DIVERSION SERVICES (620) 331-5151 - Independence This number will connect you with the Crisis Diversion Services Dispatcher who will assist in determining who needs to be contacted to assist with the crisis. After Hours and weekends, call (800) 499-1748		Attendant Care Case Management Liaison Services
		When a Crisis Occurs
Diversion Services provides a 24-hour emergency on call system for psychiatric emergencies. A Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) is available to assess persons in crisis and determine if they need psychiatric hospitalization or if services can be safely provided in the community. Diversion plans are developed with those individuals who can be maintained in the community with additional support (crisis stabilization services, attendant care, emergency medication evaluation, and/or family support). If hospitalization is necessary, CDS provides the necessary screening for admission to the state hospitals in our area—Osawatomie State Hospital (for adults) and Rainbow State Hospital (for children). Four County MHC is also the gatekeeper for admission of persons with medical cards to psychiatric units of general hospitals.		A crisis is anything that overwhelms a person to the point they are not able to adequately manage the problem on their own without outside assistance. This may involve emotional support, assistance meeting basic needs or coping with an immediate problem.
	In more severe cases it may involve providing one-on-one support to prevent any harm to self or others and assessment of the least restrictive level of care required.

Mental Illness		Crisis intervention
When a person has a mental illness (such as depression or anxiety) it becomes difficult to function as they normally do. The Crisis Department can assist with temporary assistance in managing stressors, diagnosis of symptoms and referral for Outpatient Services, or if necessary an Inpatient Hospitalization. Suicide is the 11^th leading cause of death in the United States, and is one of the primary concerns being assessed in a crisis situation. Additional information on symptoms of mental illness.		When someone calls the crisis line, they can expect to talk to someone about their crisis situation. The Crisis Staff will discuss options with them including meeting face-to-face with a Crisis Case Manager to assist them in resolving an immediate problem or to meet with a Crisis Therapist to discuss services that may be beneficial to the individual in crisis. For facts about suicide.
Afterhours Crisis Line
Four County Mental Health Center has a crisis line staffed by qualified mental health professionals who are able to manage crisis situations, assist callers with mental health needs and make appropriate referrals. They are bilingual (Spanish/English) and if a situation requires an immediate face-to-face meeting (such as a caller being a danger to themselves or others), they contact on-call staff to meet the caller in a safe location for a screening. Afterhours screenings may be conducted at a police station, hospital emergency room, or at the mental health center. This will be arranged between the caller and the staff member conducting the screening.
Helping Others		Screenings
If you are concerned about a family member, friend or co-worker, you may be able to help them by referring them to Four County Mental Health Center. Encourage them to talk to someone and either make an appointment, or discuss their current circumstances with someone in the crisis department when they call. People have the right to consent to or refuse treatment. If you have immediate concerns about someone’s safety and they refuse to speak with someone from the mental health center, you may need to report your concerns to the local law enforcement agency. They may check on the individual’s safety and if they have reason to believe the individual is a danger to themselves or others, they may take tem into protective custody and require them to speak with someone from the mental health center.		A screening is an assessment tool used by staff to guide the individual in crisis through sharing information about their symptoms, current medication and/or health problems, substance abuse history, and other risk factors. This tool is then used to assist the screener and individual to determine what is needed. Screeners offer resources provided by the mental health center including therapy, case management, and attendant care to provide the individual with as much assistance as possible without hospitalization. This is referred to as a “Diversion Plan” since it diverts someone from hospitalization.

		Hospitalization
		If hospitalization is required, the screener will discuss options of hospitals with the individual and their family if possible. This may include one of the State Hospitals (Osawatomie State Hospital for adults; and Rainbow State Hospital for children). The Crisis Staff will assist with making necessary admission arrangements which may include transportation to the hospital, and will work with the hospital on a discharge plan for care following the hospitalization.