Crisis Response Center: An alternative to incarceration

Connections Health Solutions is a crisis response center that immediately treats people struggling with mental health and substance abuse.Studies show people experiencing these problems often end up incarcerated—instead of receiving care to treat the underlying issues.Dr. Margie Balfour, with the Crisis Response Center, says the Tucson Police Department can bring those in need of treatment directly to the facility for immediate care.”If you make it easy for law enforcement to do the right thing, use their training that they’ve received on how to recognize mental illness, the last piece of that is that you have to make it really easy for them to drop people off for care, ” says Balfour. “The door opens and then we—our staff—immediately responds and takes that person into treatment, lets the officer go. And that whole process takes about five or six minutes.”The Crisis Response Center was built for those who need high level crisis care, but their doors are open to anyone seeking help 24/7.Connections Health Solutions has locations both in Tucson and Phoenix. The Tucson Crisis Response Center is located in the Banner – University Medical Center South Campus, at I-10 and East Ajo Way, 2802 E. District St.The center’s phone number is (520) 301-2400. For more information on services, visit the Connections Health Solutions website.