Crisis Stabilization or Step Down Program

The Crisis Stabilization or Step Down Program provides 24-hour residential care that provides an alternative for clients to an inpatient hospital admission or a "step down" from a hospital inpatient program. 

As an alternative:  For clients who are experiencing an acute crisis, in which the goal is to prevent inpatient hospitalization.

As a step down:  For clients who are ready for, or have recently been discharged from, an acute-care inpatient setting, but still need services that provide transition or re-entry into the community to limit or prevent hospital stay.

Program Goals: 

  • 3-5 day length of stay 
  • Alleviate immediate crisis 
  • Linkage to community support 
Admission Criteria: 
  • DSM-IV Diagnosis 
  • The client admission is voluntary 
  • The client needs medication monitoring and/or adjustment 
  • Moderate rating level of suicidal ideation, gestures and/or behaviors 
  • Moderate rating of disruptive behavior towards others to include threats/planning of possible harm to others, but without prognosis of imminent danger or history indicating high risk probability for actualization of threats 
  • Disruptive to moderate rating level of psychotic behavioral episode when the client is exhibiting behavior that indicates an inability to regain control of his/her thought processes and can only do so with intensive management and/or prompting 
  • Moderate level of drug/alcohol ingestion/abuse, providing detoxification services are unavailable and client is medically cleared, when continued community placement would endanger the client’s welfare and/or community safety 
  • Other behaviors/events which may necessitate immediate removal of the client from the community environment in order to provide an environment more appropriate to his/her needs 
Treatment: 
  • Psychiatric Assessment 
  • Nursing Assessment 
  • Individualized Treatment Plan 
  • Realistic Discharge Plan 
  • Medication Adjustment and/or Monitoring 
Staff: 
  • Psychiatrist 
  • Registered Nurses 
  • Licensed and Master Level Social Workers 
  • Bachelor Level Mental Health Specialists