Evansville, Indiana is experiencing improved access to mental healthcare, with Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare reporting a milestone: a 42% increase in access to care over the past three years. This progress coincides with the organization’s first year as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).
The shift towards greater accessibility represents a significant change for a community where, historically, lengthy wait times for mental health services were the norm. Katy Adams, President and CEO of Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare, emphasized this transformation. Historically, it’s always been this belief that it takes months to get care. And that has not been true for quite some time now. And what we show with our data is it’s three days now, which is a number that’s not really true, because our offices have open access and can be seen same day,
she stated.
Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare is one of eight CCBHCs currently operating within the state of Indiana. The CCBHC model, initiated through a grant in 2022, focuses on expanding comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services. A key component of this expansion has been bolstering crisis services.
Dramatic Increase in Crisis Call Volume
The demand for crisis intervention has risen sharply. Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare has seen a substantial increase in the number of crisis calls received, jumping from approximately 400 calls annually to over 6,000 calls per year. This represents a fifteen-fold increase and underscores a growing need for immediate mental health support within the community.
To address this surge in demand, Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare has forged a collaborative partnership with the Evansville Police Department. This partnership has led to the creation of a crisis response team comprised of law enforcement officers, therapists, and peer support specialists.
Crisis Response Team: A Collaborative Approach
The crisis response team’s integrated approach aims to de-escalate situations and connect individuals experiencing a mental health crisis with appropriate resources. Dave Smith, Mental Health Liaison with the Evansville Police Department, explained the benefits of this collaborative model. With the crisis team, it enables a police officer, a therapist and a peer to go out and make contact with these people and give them direct resources. In some cases, help them get help, whether that be therapy, medication, housing, we found that it relieves resources on the police department side with less encounters with us in a negative way,
Smith said.
The team’s presence has demonstrably reduced the number of individuals entering the criminal justice system due to mental health crises, diverting them towards more appropriate care pathways. By providing on-site support and connecting individuals with therapy, medication, and housing assistance, the crisis response team is helping to stabilize individuals in crisis and prevent further escalation.
Looking Ahead: Expansion of CCBHCs in Indiana
The success of Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare’s CCBHC model is informing plans for future expansion. Officials are hopeful that additional Behavioral Health Clinics will be established across the state within the next five years, further increasing access to vital mental health services for Indiana residents.
For individuals in the Evansville area experiencing a mental health crisis, Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare offers a local crisis line available at 812-422-1100. The national crisis line is available 24/7 by dialing 988.
The improvements in access to care at Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare reflect a broader trend towards prioritizing mental health services and integrating them more effectively into the community healthcare landscape. The CCBHC model, with its emphasis on comprehensive care and collaborative partnerships, appears to be a promising strategy for addressing the growing mental health needs of the population.
