Legacy’s Behavioral Health Crisis Center (BHCC) is funded by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) to provide non-hospital emergency services 24/7/365 for individuals served of 18 years of age and older with mental illness, substance use disorders (drug and alcohol), and co-occurring disorders. The BHCC provides services via the Crisis Service Center (CSC), Temporary Observation Unit (TO), and the Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU).
Crisis Services
The Behavioral Health Crisis Center accepts individuals as voluntary walk-ins as well as involuntary admissions and those brought in by law enforcement at its location at:
3116 North Oak Street Ext
Valdosta, GA 31602
229-671-3500
Individuals of all ages who are experiencing a crisis may walk into one of our outpatient clinics during normal business hours.
Crisis Service Center (CSC)
The CSC receives and evaluates 100% of individuals who arrive there. Individuals are triaged and receive a crisis assessment to determine need for services. If hospitalization is needed, the individual would then be admitted to the TO Unit, CSU, or transported to an appropriate external provider.
Temporary Observation (TO)
The 6-bed TO unit provides brief (less than 24 hours) crisis stabilization and observation to determine further treatment needs.
Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU)
The 24-bed CSU provides short term (less than 10 days) crisis stabilization and care coordination for ongoing outpatient treatment.
Services provided at the BHCC include:
- Psychiatric assessment and ongoing care
- Nursing assessment and care
- Medication administration, evaluation, and monitoring
- Safety and Treatment planning
- Group skills training and counseling
- Peer support
- Discharge planning
- Education about mental illness, substance use disorder, medications, relapse prevention
- Referral and linkage to ongoing outpatient care and community-based services
- Referral to primary medical, dental and other physical healthcare providers
Co-Responder
The Co-Responder program is a partnership between LBH and local law enforcement agencies and/or emergency medical services to utilize the combined expertise of first responders and behavioral health professionals on emergency calls that involve behavioral health crises. The Co-Responder is a licensed or credentialed behavioral health provider who provides on-scene crisis de-escalation, screening, assessments and referrals to treatment or other resources. The Co-Responder may assess an individual on-site or via telemedicine or telephone and is available for virtual consultation to expedite diversion. Goals of the Co-Responder program are to de-escalate crisis situations on the scene as they are occurring and help link individuals with behavioral health concerns to appropriate services quickly, avoiding incarceration and emergency department visits.
