Bowen Center opened a new crisis receiving and stabilizing center last week, focusing on the gap between outpatient and inpatient services for mental health crises.
The facility in Pierceton is open to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis who needs more support than outpatient services, but doesn’t need to be committed to an inpatient program.
Built with comfort in mind, it offers a safe place for someone to calm down, receive brief therapy or medication management and get connected to community resources.
Tess Ottenweller is the vice president of intensive services at Bowen Center. She says the new facility is the product of a grant from the Indiana Department of Mental Health and Addiction for crisis care expansion, but it’s also the first step.
“So when you’re thinking about crisis care there are three key components. The first is somewhere to call, that’s 9-8-8; the second is someone to respond, those are mobile crisis teams; and then the third is a safe place to go, and crisis receiving and stabilization services is our safe place to go.”
Once a person is checked in, they’ll be directed to a room the staff refers to as the “living room.” There’s a table with four chairs and several recliners up against each wall, with a pair of noise canceling headphones and a TV screen at each.
Crisis services manager Lucas Lengacher says being connected to the Bowen Center services means they can help people who come in with any service or resource they need.
“We have access to all sorts of providers; nurses, doctors, therapists, skills coaches, peers. Those individuals in crisis or in need can come here and receive a wide-variety of services and so we’re here to offer that to them whenever they need it.”
Every person who comes into the center will also be matched up with a peer. A peer is someone with lived experience with the crisis that person is going through who has been trained by the state to offer support. The crisis center currently has seven trained peers.
Rachel Adams is the peer supervisor and has her own lived experience with substance misuse and is in long term recovery.
“So, usually when a guest comes in, someone here has been exactly where they’ve been and our role as a peer is really simple; We’re just there to sit by them. We try to help empower them to pull themselves out of the crisis. We identify their needs and then we explore what we can do to meet those needs.”
Adams says opening up lines of communication and creating trust can make a big difference in someone’s recovery.
Ottenweller says the location of the center was chosen very intentionally. The facility is in Kosciusko county, which is in the center of Bowen Center’s five core counties – Kosciusko, Huntington, Wabash, Whitley and Marshall.
“We wanted to make sure that we could serve all of our counties and make this program as accessible as possible for our communities.”
It was also chosen because they are immediately connected to Bowen’s hospital, so if someone does need inpatient services, they can connect them immediately.
Ottenweller says the nature and wildlife around the facility is a service in its own right, as well. Often staff will go out for walks with people once they’ve been able to calm down and the nature around the building can help calm them even further.
When someone leaves the facility, they typically leave with a resource folder full of other services in their community, whether it be outpatient services, insurance services or food banks and shelters.
The facility is open seven days a week, every day of the year. People in crisis can come to the facility and receive a variety of services, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
William Stephen is senior director of crisis services. He says he really hopes the center can just be a safe place for anyone experiencing any type of crisis – from mental health and substance use to homelessness – to feel safe coming to ask for assistance.
“If you see yourself with a crisis, and it doesn't matter what we all think is a crisis or not, a crisis is if you see it as a crisis, it will be a crisis to us. And you’re welcome to come and be here.”
Later this year, Bowen hopes to roll out mobile crisis units that can respond to mental health or substance use issues anywhere in the area.
Bowen Center is a financial supporter of 89.1 WBOI.
