In April, St. Joseph’s Villa marked the one-year anniversary of its Crisis Receiving Center, Virginia’s first youth-specific alternative to emergency rooms for children experiencing behavioral health crises.
The facility located on Brook Road in Henrico County is designed to divert children who might otherwise go to the hospital, instead connecting families to community health care services.
In its first year, the center served around 150 children ages 7–17.
Daniel Rigsby is the division director for Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services, provides comprehensive community mental health, developmental disability and substance use disorder services to more than 9,000 individuals and families in the area. He said the CRC enhances the county’s ability to address the needs of vulnerable constituents.
"The Crisis Receiving Center represents a significant expansion of mental health services available to youth in Central Virginia," Rigbsy said in a statement to VPM News. "While emergency rooms do a great job addressing urgent medical needs, they often lack specially trained mental health staff.”
The CRC is part of a statewide effort to increase access to mental health care for young people and the Right Help, Right Now initiative established by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, which invests in alternative approaches to care for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis or substance abuse disorder.
Right Help, Right Now aims to provide $500 million in new funding for mental health services and intervention strategies across the state like the CRC.
Bob Larkin, CRC’s director, told VPM News the center looks to divert families from interacting with adverse environments, reduce strain on emergency medical facilities and provide specialized support.
“Emergency rooms are great for what they're for, but for kids in a traumatic experience, a lot of times [they] aren’t going to get priority,” Larkin said. “Kids often are moved to the back of the waiting line. Here, we can provide the direct access to care they need.”
Larkin said the CRC offers 24/7 call and walk-in service for youth and their families. Every individual is discharged within 23 hours of admission, with connections to resources that support their recovery and facilitate a smooth transition back to their community — all at no cost, per an agreement with the county.
“If they come in, whether they have insurance, private insurance or Medicaid insurance, it's still no cost to the family,” Larkin said.
Larkin noted that CRC is just one part of Henrico’s wrap-around mental health service system. Henrico County Public Schools’ CARES plan, an enhanced system of mental health care for students and their families, has helped identify children in need of behavioral health services.
As the county’s health services expand, Larkin said the CRC’s biggest challenge is spreading awareness that the center has the resources available for those experiencing a behavioral crisis.
Natalie Scarbrough, a clinician at the CRC, told VPM News that if at least one child walks out of their doors more hopeful then when they arrive, it makes their work worthwhile.
“There is a strong feeling of fulfillment anytime that a kid who has come in in crisis and is dealing with so many different emotions is able to leave hopeful,” Scarbrough said. “That is why I do this work.”
