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The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD recently hosted an Open House and inauguration for its new PostHospitalization Crisis Residential Unit (PHCRU). Funded by the Texas 1115 Healthcare Transformation Waiver, this one-of-a-kind, cost-effective program will focus on furthering each individual’s work toward stabilization and reducing costly emergency room visits, incarceration and rapid hospital readmissions in the future.
The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD recently hosted an Open House and inauguration for its new PostHospitalization Crisis Residential Unit (PHCRU). Funded by the Texas 1115 Healthcare Transformation Waiver, this one-of-a-kind, cost-effective program will focus on furthering each individual’s work toward stabilization and reducing costly emergency room visits, incarceration and rapid hospital readmissions in the future. The goal of the PHCRU is to treat individuals in a less restrictive voluntary setting during the critical time immediately following discharge from psychiatric hospitals. Program participants will be served in a protected environment where intense psychosocial skills are taught, practiced and modeled. Participants will further stabilize and socialize while learning skills that are specifically designed to enhance their ability to successfully return to the community. Average daily costs at a psychiatric hospital range from $500 to over $1000. Daily costs at the PHCRU are below $350. Intensive efforts at the PHCRU will help link clients with essential community services such as ongoing healthcare, food stamps, assistance from state agencies, legal services, homeless courts, access to clothing, mail services, residential chemical dependency treatment and housing. Residents will join clinical groups that will support their recovery plan, and participate in chore assignments. Skills taught at the PHCRU will help enable individuals to avoid the everpresent risk of rapid re-hospitalization and to better manage or prevent crises in the future. During the inaugural event, guests toured the 24-resident facility, and they had the opportunity to hear from PHCRU staff members on their plans for the facility. Open house attendees included representatives from the offices of Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, Harris County Commissioner Gene Locke, Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack, State Representative Jessica Farrar, State Representative Gilbert Peña, and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s representative presented a Congressional Certificate of Recognition to The Harris Center PHCRU in honor of its opening.
What makes a good listener? Common responses to this question include someone who is attentive, engaged, non-judgmental, helpful, knowledgeable and empathetic.
As The Harris Center’s crisis division, the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) provides services to individuals in Harris County experiencing a mental health crisis. From its 24-hour Crisis Line to its internationally-recognized collaborations with law enforcement, the CPEP is constantly working to reach those who need help.
The Harris Center Psychiatric Emergency Service (PES) located at the NeuroPsychiatric Center (NPC) is one of the major public mental health emergency programs in Harris County. Started in 1999, services are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to anyone in Harris County experiencing some type of mental health crisis.
All of us need support from time to time. Whether we need to have a good cry or a good laugh, knowing we have someone to turn to in a time of crisis is a comfort many of us take for granted. For individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), finding that help is not always easy. The same is true for those who serve as caregivers for loved ones with IDD. At The Harris Center, the IDD Intensive Needs Program is available to help provide the support and compassion that many need.
While the IDD Intensive Needs Program provides community-based supports throughout Harris County, it also has a component that focuses on providing crisis care. Implemented in 2016 as an initiative of the State of Texas and led by Clinical Team Leader Amanda Willis, LCSW-S, the three person staff is composed of master level clinicians who provide assessments, support and linkage to on-going community-based services for individuals with IDD who find themselves in a crisis.
Kim Tope is a licensed master social worker and a certified anger resolution therapist. More pertinent to her current role at The Harris Center, Kim is also a certified peer specialist who uses her own lived experience in recovery from mental illness to help those who find themselves in need of support and treatment through a one-of-a-kind program in Texas known as The P.E.E.R.S. for Hope House.
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The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD strives to provide high quality, efficient, and cost effective services so that persons with mental disabilities may live with dignity as fully functioning, participating, and contributing members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay based on a sliding scale rate schedule. Privacy Statement Contact Us