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The original item was published from 4/5/2022 1:04:00 PM to 1/1/2023 12:00:01 AM.

News Flash

Linn County Front Page News

Posted on: April 5, 2022

[ARCHIVED] Mental Health Access Center Expands Hours to Include Weekends

Lobby of Mental Health Access Center

Linn County is pleased to announce the Mental Health Access Center will expand its walk-in hours to include weekends effective Saturday, April 9, 2022. Individuals 18 years of age and older who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis can walk into the Access Center without an appointment and receive help seven days a week between the hours of 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. 

Services Available

  • Crisis Triage & Counseling (Foundation 2)
  • Mental Health Evaluations (Abbe Health)
  • Mental Health Prescriber Appointments (Abbe Health)
  • Peer Support (Abbe Health)
  • Crisis Stabilization (Abbe Health)
  • Sobering Unit (Area Ambulance Service)

For services after hours, community members can use Foundation 2 Mobile Crisis Teams by calling 319-362-2174.

The Access Center is building capacity and working to open on a walk-in basis 24/7 365 days a year.

Eligibility

Anyone who is 18 years of age or older can receive services from the Mental Health Access Center. Because the Mental Health Access Center receives funding from the East Central Mental Health Region, patients do not have to be residents of Linn County to receive services. Patients can be brought in by law enforcement or mobile crisis teams. Patients can also be brought in with loved ones or come on their own. Use of Mental Health Access Center services is 100 percent voluntary.

The Mental Health Access Center cannot serve individuals in need of immediate medical care; individuals who are violent at arrival or immediately prior to arrival with a likelihood that they will seriously hurt themselves, other patients, or Access Center employees; or minors 17 years old or younger.

About the Access Center

The Access Center is under the management of Linn County Community Services, a department within Linn County government. Access Center Director Erin Foster is the only County employee at the Access Center. Services are provided by Abbe Health, Area Ambulance Service, Foundation 2, and St. Luke’s Chemical Dependency.

The Access Center recently marked its first year of service to residents of Eastern Iowa. During the past year, the Access Center has served 532 walk-in patients, provided more than 300 hours of crisis counseling to people in need, placed 160 patients in crisis stabilization beds, and made referrals for mental health and substance use disorder services. Seventy percent of those reporting on discharge survey say they would not have sought any other services if they had not come to the Access Center.

Learn more about the Mental Health Access Center.

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