Renown Crisis Care Center Has Reopened

The Renown Crisis Care Center provides short term behavioral health crisis intervention up to 23 hours 59 minutes in a specialized environment, offering faster access to care, targeted treatment, and a calmer setting than the hospital emergency department. Patients must be age 18 or older and must be able to walk independently.

Jimmy Lao, Director of Nursing - Emergency Services at Renown, provided insights about the operation of the center. He noted "we have worked diligently to streamline the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the Crisis Care Center. The Field Assessment Screening Tool (FAST), outlined below, is utilized to assess the suitability of patients for the Crisis Care Center. This tool comprises nine questions, each aligned with our updated criteria. Agents are required to call ahead and review these questions with us. If a patient answers YES to any of these questions, it indicates that their condition is too complex for the Crisis Care Center or that they require services beyond what we can provide. In such cases, the patient should be directed to the nearest emergency department.

Patients on our Familiar Faces List (Refusal List), who are known to be violent, aggressive, or have exhibited hypersexual behavior, are not eligible for care at the Crisis Care Center. Conversely, if the patient answers NO to all nine questions, they are deemed appropriate for care at our facility.

Upon arrival, we aim to perform a hand-off in the sally port within five minutes. No EMS or law enforcement agents will be turned away. If you bring a patient who does not meet our criteria, we will still process and provide care for them."

More information about the center is available in the following FAQ document:

Mr. Lao also highlighted a new service called the Code Phoenix Process. It is a discreet support system designed for healthcare professionals, law enforcement agents, EMS agents, and fire agents who may be experiencing a mental health crisis and require intensive crisis treatment. The goal is to assist those who serve our community by providing the necessary support during challenging times.

Mr . Lao explained, "upon receiving a call from any of your team members to activate Code Phoenix, we will instruct them to proceed to the Crisis Care Center, where we will facilitate their entry through a back door to ensure confidentiality. They will be immediately directed to a private room, separate from other patients, to maintain their privacy. Here, they will undergo triage, assessment, and receive appropriate therapy from our skilled psychiatric advanced practice registered nurse and behavioral health therapist. Additionally, we are assembling a roster of Peer Supporters ready to assist. Our aim is to match the agent in crisis with a Peer Supporter who has a similar career, experience, or field. This approach ensures that the agent receives support from someone who understands their specific situation and can offer relatable guidance."

Questions about the Renown Crisis Care Center can be directed to Jimmy Lao at  jimmy.lao@renown.org.