CRISIS CENTER
CHIP  (Community Hospital Integration Program)

CHIP is a 24-hour a day screening program for adults who do not have health insurance and are at risk for publicly-funded psychiatric hospitalization. Crisis Center therapists provide telephone and on-site screening at the request of Montgomery County emergency room physicians. They provide consultation about mental health issues and assist physicians in determining if the patient needs to be hospitalized or can be helped through outpatient services or in an alternative residential setting in the community.

If inpatient treatment is indicated, Crisis Center therapists will collaborate with Springfield Hospital Center and other facilities to assist in arranging admission.  In many cases, patients can be referred to a less restrictive and less costly alternative, such as outpatient mental health treatment, addictions treatment, or admission to a T&E bed at the Crisis Center.  The CHIP program ensures that a continuum of treatment options is available to psychiatric patients who are evaluated in local emergency rooms.

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