What We Do

Jun 7, 2021 | Blog

You may have seen our information flyer around the community explaining the main services offered by the Coleman Crisis Stabilization Unit.

What we are not is a service that provides 9-1-1 treatments. Also, we do not hold people involuntarily – everyone here has agreed to treatment.

What we do, however, requires explanation. Learn below why these services are important and provide “a better way to manage psychiatric emergencies and stabilize crises.”

24/7 Care

In the case of crisis stabilization, it is not enough that some people are simply in a safe room. Many people feel unsafe with their symptoms, which frequently harbor intense suicidal thoughts. But they do feel safer with qualified professionals on call. If staff is available to talk, all vulnerability can be addressed. That’s the importance of 24/7 care.

Monitoring

Monitoring can be defined by our focused attention on client recovery details. Clinicians will ask questions such as:

  • Are they responding to medication?
  • Are they socializing with others?
  • How well are their symptoms being reduced?
  • Do suicidal thoughts persist?
  • Are they receiving visits from family and loved ones?

Coleman also holds treatment team meetings where the counselor, case manager, nurse and floor technician share with each other updates and insights on the client’s condition.

“The Case Manager reviews the discharge plan with the client showing all inputs,” states Ashley Fuller, Director of the Coleman Crisis Stabilization Unit. “The client knows then that everybody is on board, his or her entire treatment team.”

Individual and Group Counseling

Coleman’s two pronged approach to counseling enriches their overall treatment. Our facility offers one-on -one counseling. When Coleman took over for CIRC in 2018, group therapy was added to the recovery process. An environment where everyone in the unit can come together, the group shares their experiences and insights with each other in the presence of a licensed therapist.

“While group therapy is optional, we encourage everyone to attend,” states Ashley Fuller. “Clients benefit from socialization. They hear different perspectives and viewpoints from each other. You’ll see them come together and help each other when they hear about each other’s struggles. They feel less alone and can actually help each other.”

Medication Management

This service enables our client to begin prescribed medications promptly – and to monitor the results of the medication sooner. Our prescribers – nurse practitioners and psychiatrists – are available almost every day of the week. This allows our clients to see a prescriber usually within a day of being admitted. There is no lull in the treatment.

Linkage to Community Resources

Coleman connects clients to outpatient resources. This increases their chances for long term recovery success. We take into account each client’s individual needs – their locations, condition and other factors – to determine the best agency, prescriber, counselor and other programs for the client to follow up with.

Some clients adapt fairly easily to a new care team. Others don’t. For the latter, Coleman enables their new care treatment team to meet with clients in a familiar, safe and comfortable setting – our unit. This helps clients to build a bond with the team that will be with them after their discharge from Coleman Crisis Stabilization Unit.

To help clients recover with momentum, we schedule their visit with a psychiatrist or counselor within days after their discharge from our unit.

Coleman helps clients secure community resources beyond crisis and recovery needs. We help them secure insurance, food benefits – even a primary care physician.

“Many people are at rock bottom,” Ashley Fuller states. “They’re not going to find their own doctor. We had one client with tooth pain but had no means or motivation to even get dental care. We helped.”


For all of these reasons, psychiatric professionals and mental health agencies count on Coleman Crisis Stabilization Unit for high quality crisis services.