The living room program to provide behavioral health crisis and supportive services - turning point behavioral health care center is launching a living room program in evanston, illinois to provide…

The living room program to provide behavioral health crisis and supportive services - turning point behavioral health care center is launching a living room program in evanston, illinois to provide much needed support for adults in crisis. This program will serve as an extension of turning point's existing living room program in skokie which has been in operation and maintaining an exceptional success record since 2011. Services provided by turning point through this program will be free of charge. This program is launching with the strong support of the city of evanston as well as ascension saint francis hospital which is supplying the site. Turning point will provide mental health crisis services and will partner with peer services which will provide substance use disorder services and with impact behavioral health partners for employment assistance. Beyond these core partners, turning point will access its expansive network of colleague organizations and local health agencies to collaborate and provide a wide range of referral resources. The initial preparations and staff training for this program will take place at the turning point facility in skokie, and the evanston program is expected to launch in january 2024. Located on the campus of ascension saint francis hospital, the living room will be housed at 311 elmwood avenue in close proximity to the emergency department and will serve as a valuable resource for newly discharged patients needing additional support as well as anyone who finds themselves in crisis. As services will be free of charge, the program will be readily accessible for low-income and underserved individuals. According to the U.S. Census, evanston residents are 63.4% white, 16.1% african american, 9% asian, and 7.8% multi racial. As the program will be adjacent to the hospital, near public transportation, and close to the northern border of the city of chicago, IT is expected that the program will serve many individuals from diverse communities within the surrounding areas. Services will be available on a walk-in basis every day, eight hours a day, to adults from the surrounding area with no geographic restrictions. Goals for the program include successfully expanding upon an exceptional existing program, bringing much needed crisis support to more individuals in need, and enhancing awareness within the community of this valuable resource. Objectives within year one include hiring and training new staff to launch and fully staff the program, providing at least 360 guest visits, reaching the same success rate that the skokie program has maintained of 98% of visits deflected from requiring emergency room services. Objectives also include outreach to colleague agencies and an outreach campaign into the community to raise awareness and understanding of the new program. Beyond year one, IT is expected that at least 40 guest visits per month will be provided. For over 50 years, turning point behavioral health care center has remained committed to serving the most vulnerable citizens in our community who are experiencing mental illness. With this new program, turning point will be providing free and much-needed crisis support, offering a proven trauma-informed alternative to hospital emergency rooms, creating a calm and comfortable environment in which guests can resolve crises with an experienced team of recovery support specialists, and providing an invaluable resource for the community at large.