Waukesha Co. Crisis Resource Center open, 'there's help and hope'
WAUKESHA, Wis. - 19% of adults in Waukesha County reported having a mental health condition over the last three years and now there's a place to get help, and it's not an emergency room.
A wing of Waukesha County's Mental Health Center has been redefined; the space is now Waukesha County's ‘Crisis Resource Center.’
It's a place people can come to for voluntary help with mental health issues, addressing things like depression, drug and alcohol misuse and self-harm.
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Outside the Crisis Resource Center
The center is designed to feel like a home – people can stay there for hours, overnight or even a few days.
"We’re able to see individuals 24/7," said Leif Elsmo, CEO of Centers for Independence. "We have 14 beds here at this facility that we can see individuals from Waukesha Co. and surrounding counties."
Waukesha County contracted the group to provide trauma-informed and personalized care to people in need.
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Resources for those in need.
"If you’re comfortable going somewhere, you’re more readily able and willing to voluntarily get those services you need," said Elsmo.
Hartland Police Chief Torin Misko says even officers in small departments "frequently" encounter people in a mental health crisis. Misko hopes the program can help focus police resources.
"This is something we can preemptively use," said Chief Torin Misko. "Someone can come in voluntarily and get mental health treatment they need and hopefully not have to get to that level of a crisis emergency detention."
An example of a room people can stay in.
Waukesha County is also expanding a program FOX6 first reported on in 2022. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, Waukesah Police Department, and soon the Brookfield Police Department, have embedded social workers assisting law enforcement.
"Having those individuals has reduced the amount of time law enforcement has to be on scene if it’s a non-crime related situation," said Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow.
The goal is to get help to those who need it and stabilize the situation before a crisis spirals out of control. At the resource center, leaders want people to know there's help and hope.
"You can feel it’s a welcoming environment that can receive people where they need to create a pathway to total health," added Elsmo.
Waukesha County used ARPA funds for construction costs, and a DHS grant will cover operational costs for at least the next year and a half.
‘Centers for Independence’ also runs a similar program in Milwaukee.
For more information on Waukesha County's mental health resources, click here.