Urgent Behavioral Health Crisis Center opens in Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — FCC Behavioral Health held an open house Thursday, July 13, to celebrate the opening of its new Urgent Behavioral Health Crisis Center at 686 Lester St., the former Kniebert Clinic.

Director Christina Cunningham, along with various other staff, was in attendance explaining the process, goals and assistance they provide to the community.

According to Cunningham, the UBHCC operates as an acute urgent care model for individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis in hopes of preventing hospitalizations and jail confinements.

The organization is a private, not-for-profit community behavioral health center, founded in 1976. FCC Behavioral Health said its mission is to "promote recovery by providing comprehensive, integrated care to improve people's overall health and wellness."

Kris Usselton, clinical officer of crisis, emphasized mental illness and substance use disorders can affect anyone, regardless of background or age. The center's goal is to assist patients in crises and connect them with existing resources in the area for ongoing care.

Two additional programs provided by the new center are Emergency Room Enhancement and Coordinated Solutions. The ERE program offers intensive case management, therapy, medical management and peer support services to reduce emergency room visits and unnecessary hospitalizations. It also assists with transportation and medication purchases for individuals in the program.

Coordinated Solutions is said to provide no-cost behavioral health services for the uninsured or underinsured while identifying possible funding sources for long-term stability.

Crisis therapists and care coordinators are available to provide crisis response through various means such as mobile response, walk-in services, face-to-face intervention and telephone response.

Stabilization services are provided to address immediate needs during crises, Cunningham said. The program also offers intensive case management services, with a care coordinator responsible for coordinating care and addressing behavioral and physical health issues, as well as basic needs for the person served.

The UBHCC is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Cunningham said the whole process generally takes a couple of hours so they accept their last clients at 7 p.m.

"We have a lot of different staff to assess what their needs are," clinical officer Kris Usselton said. "And then try to provide brief therapy, intervention and referral to the appropriate treatment services, but also resources if they have other needs, like food insecurity or housing insecurity."