CRESCENT CITY, Calif. — People in Del Norte County experiencing a behavioral health crisis will soon have access to a new local care option.
Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent City is preparing to open a new EmPATH, Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing, center later this summer, aimed at helping both children and adults experiencing mental health emergencies receive specialized care in a calmer setting outside of the emergency room.
Hospital leaders say the new center fills a major gap in care for rural communities, where access to psychiatric treatment can be limited and patients often have to leave the area for additional services.
“Our community has always been focusing on how we can improve mental health and behavioral health crises,” said Ellie Popadic, senior director of operations at Sutter Coast Hospital. “What this center does that is unique is that it really helps those patients move into a setting that’s specifically designed uniquely to help meet their care needs and help them deescalate from crises and get the wraparound support that they need going forward.”
Currently, patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis are treated in the emergency room before, in some cases, being transferred out of the community for inpatient psychiatric care. Popadic said emergency departments are designed to respond quickly to medical emergencies, but that environment is not always ideal for people in the midst of a mental health crisis.
“Emergency rooms are designed to treat emergencies, which means they can be a little bit loud, they can be very chaotic, controlled chaos,” Popadic said. “Oftentimes when people are having behavioral health crises, they really need a calming situation.”
Under the new model, patients will still enter through the emergency room for evaluation before being transferred to the EmPATH unit, where behavioral health professionals will provide immediate support, assessments, medication management and care planning.
The center is designed to care for up to eight patients at a time and will serve both adolescents and adults.
Popadic said systems are in place to keep those patient groups separated when needed. Rather than remaining in the emergency department for extended periods or automatically transferring out of the area, Popadic said the goal is to begin treatment sooner while helping patients stay connected to support systems closer to home.
“So they’re not just going to an ER and then to an inpatient psych with some supplemental outpatient,” Popadic said. “They’re now being able to start their psychiatric journey in a psychiatric unit that then enables them to be connected to the outpatient setting.”
Popadic said one of the most noticeable differences in the new center is its design. The facility includes calming colors, scenic images, quiet areas and spaces for patients to read, rest or interact with others, all intentionally created to help people feel safe and supported during a difficult moment.
“This entire building was designed specifically for our patients in mind,” Popadic said. “These things are designed to ensure that our patients are able to relax. They’re able to read a book, play a game, sit in quiet, rest in solitude, or be able to interact with others.”
She said those design choices are especially important because many people in crisis struggle to feel calm.
“Oftentimes when patients are having behavioral or mental health crises, they’re not able to relax,” Popadic said. “And this environment is designed to help them relax.”
Hospital leaders hope the center will also help reduce the stress families often experience during a psychiatric emergency by shortening stays and improving access to follow-up care.
Popadic said most stays in the unit are expected to last between two and 23 hours, allowing many patients to receive care, return home sooner and remain connected to community-based outpatient services.
“My hope for families and community members at large is that when they are having behavioral health crises, they themselves or their loved ones, they are going to experience a change,” Popadic said. “The ability for the individuals that are patients to be able to get back into the community and back with those that they love much more quickly.”
Sutter Coast Hospital received about $7 million in funding for the project, including $4 million through California’s Proposition 1 bond and an additional $3 million through the Mental Health Services Act. Hospital leaders said Sutter Coast is the only rural hospital in California to receive funding for both pediatric and adult behavioral health crisis care.
“At the end of the day, we really want to make sure our patients and families know that this unit is here for them,” Popadic said. “It is designed to provide compassionate care when the patients need it, at the time they need it, and the right kind of care that they need when they’re struggling.”
The EmPATH center is expected to open later this summer, pending final regulatory approvals.
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