Bowen Center opens New Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Center

Bowen Center announces the opening of an expanded Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Services unit open to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. Located alongside Bowen Center’s Psychiatric Hospital in Pierceton, IN, the facility offers a safe place for people to calm down, receive brief mental health therapy and/or medication management, and be connected to community resources such as housing, transportation, and more. Services are available 24/7/365, and no one is turned away regardless of their ability to pay.

The goal of Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Services is to de-escalate a mental health crisis by providing less restrictive care in a comfortable environment. Studies have shown that this approach can be more effective than hospitalization, can prevent future crises, and can save lives.

“It really says that people with mental illness no matter what it is that you've done, where you are in your recovery journey, you're important to us,” said Bowen Center President and CEO Dr. Rob Ryan. “The crisis receiving and stabilizing unit that we have here is a commitment to those individuals that, not during business hours, maybe late at night, maybe on a weekend, maybe during a holiday, says ‘enough's enough. I want to do something different.’ It’s also for you and your families. If someone in your family or a loved one, something's happening. You don't know what it is. You have a place to go.”

Individuals in crisis can walk in and be assessed and provided care. They will be provided short-term observation and stabilization for under 24 hours in a comfortable setting. 

“A safe place to go, a place where lives are transformed, hope is restored, and futures are rewritten. Within these walls, we will provide a comprehensive service array to individuals when they need it, where they need it, said Tess Ottenweller, Bowen Center Vice President of Intensive Services. “That might look like simply a quiet place to sit to rest and recharge before an individual can go back out in the community. That might be connection to therapy services, medication management, psychiatric care, primary care. That might mean a higher level of care, inpatient hospitalization. We have a multidisciplinary team here, ready to ensure that anyone who walks through these doors receives care and the exact attention that they need to start their recovery journey and build resilience.”

Crisis stabilization has provided another option for law enforcement providers and families who don't know where else to turn. Bowen Center collaborates with local hospitals, behavioral health providers, law enforcement, first responders, social service agencies, and others for referrals. The purpose is to not only meet community needs but also to reduce hospital emergency room visits and the need for first responders and other community resources to respond to mental health crises when their services can be used in other areas.

Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Services are funded by a $4.4 million grant from the Indiana Department of Mental Health and Addiction and were made available through funding during the 2023 Indiana Legislative session under SB1. State Senator Ryan Mishler, a leader in that effort, said he understands how important it is for Bowen Center to make this commitment to the areas it serves.

“It's kind of bittersweet when they talk about the new facility here because it's unfortunate that we need it, but it's nice to know that it's here for those that do need it,” Senator Mishler said. “So, thank you for sticking with your mission and looking out for the residents of our communities.”

Other partners in this funding effort echoed the importance of teamwork in moving Indiana towards a stronger health system. 

“It became the number one priority for Senator Mishler and other legislators,” said Zoe Frantz, President and CEO of Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers. “And so, this is that work. Seeing it in real form, seeing the vision of lives being touched, I'm just really proud of Bowen Center and the great work you guys are doing up here.” 

Another force in this effort was Jay Chaudry, Indiana Director, Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). He emphasized that cooperation between all three branches of state government, local advocates, and law enforcement was the key to this project moving forward. 

“We came together, and we said, you know, we're going to agree that we're going to bring more resources and we're going to use those resources better, Mr. Chaudry said. “That's why we're here. Because everybody agreed, everybody put little, small things aside and said we're gonna move forward because our communities and people demand it.”

“We've known that there were gaps, that there's more to just either inpatient or outpatient services,” said Bowen Center COO Shannon Hannon. “Being able to meet patients right where they are has been at the heart of our mission. From day one. 

Another important piece in the puzzle is who incoming patients will meet as soon as they come through the doors. Two peer support specialists, trained professionals with lived experience with substance abuse or mental health situations, will be on duty at all times to greet patients. 

“We’ve witnessed the power of having someone sit beside the guest and say, I've been where you’ve been. I'm here to support you. We'll figure this out together,’” said Bowen Center Peer Supervisor Rachael Adams. She oversees a staff with a variety of experiences. “Each peer has their own unique lived experience. So, when a guest comes in, odds are they're going to encounter someone who's had similar lived experiences.”

“What better way to help those turn over that new leaf and hear from somebody that's been there?” said Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith. He said he feels strongly that having peers working directly with incoming patients is one of the best ways to fight recidivism when it comes to people with substance abuse issues. “You can feel the emotion, you can feel the vibe. I couldn't be more excited about what's happening here at Bowen Center.”

Individuals in crisis can walk in or be brought to any Bowen Center location during regular office hours, and they will be assessed and provided care. If it is after hours, on weekends, or on holidays, these services are available at Bowen Center’s Crisis Receiving and Stabilization facility in Pierceton, IN. 

In the next phase, Bowen Center will soon add Mobile Crisis Response teams who will go out into the community to provide services.