Mental Health Triage & Engagement Services
Mental Health Triage Unit
The Mental Health Triage Unit provides immediate therapeutic response to individuals exhibiting psychiatric symptoms on a voluntary and involuntary basis pursuant to W&I Code 5150 during regular working hours (8a.m. to 5p.m.). Individuals requesting services, during regular work hours, will be screened for urgency of need and referred to the Mental Health Triage Unit if required. After working hours and weekends, individuals can only receive mental health services on an involuntary basis by law enforcement referral (5150 involuntary application). The goal, of the Mental Health Triage Unit, is to alleviate the threat of an individual being a danger to self or others, or being gravely disabled (unable to provide their own food, clothing, shelter). Services provided while at the Mental Health Triage Unit include an Initial Crisis Assessment, a Clinician Assessment and Discharge Planning. If the person is determined to be unable to benefit by voluntary services, the person may be involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital in order to stabilize their psychiatric condition. If the person can be served voluntarily, he or she will be provided with a discharge plan and aftercare assistance to link the person to outpatient and other supportive services.
202 N. 8th Street, 1st Floor
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-1526
Crisis Care Mobile Units (CCMU)
The CCMU program consists of four mobile response teams. The Crisis Co-Response Team (CCRT) that works in collaboration with law enforcement officers and Behavioral Health staff working together, out in the field, to prevent unnecessary placement of individuals on involuntary holds and to avoid the use of acute involuntary psychiatric hospitalization by providing interventions and linkage to needed treatment and/or community services. The School Based Respond Team (SBRT) provides mobile crisis intervention services to individuals experiencing a psychiatric or emotional crisis at the local schools, the Care Response Team (CRT), which will provide assistance to the local hospital and ICBHS Outpatient clinics, and Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) will provide immediate field-based de-escalation services. The MCRT will respond to law enforcement agencies and other community agencies requesting intervention for individuals experiencing psychiatric or emotional distress. The mobile unit will be used to provide outreach in different communities by giving individuals the opportunity to immediately access services when located in their community. The intention is to make mental health and other supportive services more accessible to individuals experiencing psychiatric emergencies by providing outreach.
801 Broadway Ave.
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7921
Casa Serena
The Casa Serena program provides alternative treatment to individuals suffering psychiatric emergencies. Casa Serena offers comfort rooms to individuals promoting a calm environment. This therapeutic approach is accessible to clients experiencing emotional distress and is intended to assist individuals identify and de-escalate symptoms causing the distress. Services provided by Casa Serena will promote tranquility, mindfulness, and the reinforcement of coping skills. Casa Serena comfort rooms are designed to be age appropriate, and will be accessible to children and adolescent from ages 0-14; Youth and Young Adults from ages 14-26; and adults from ages and older. The goal of Casa Serena is to create an empowering environment and provide clients with tools to eliminate the future need of a 5150 application and/or psychiatric hospitalization. Casa Serena is an additional resource available to clients suffering from mental health and/or substance use disorder and may require the space and time to regulate their emotions.
202 N. 8th Street, 1st Floor
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-1533
Full Service Partnership - Intensive Community Program (FSP-ICP)
The Full Service Partnership- Intensive Community Program (FSP-ICP) will provide total and intensive care for seriously and persistently mentally ill adults, ages 18 years and older, 24/7 in efforts to reduce preventable outcomes of mental illness, such as homelessness and substance use. This program will focus on providing individuals with the evidenced-based interventions and personal support needed to embrace recovery and self sufficiency in the community, providing access to medical care, housing, employment, or volunteer activities along with intensive case management and medication support services. The FSP-ICP will utilize the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Model to address the needs of high utilizers of hospital, crisis, and jail services to improve outcomes.
1699 W. Main St., Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7200
Lanterman Petris Short Act (LPS) Conservatorship Unit
The LPS Conservatorship Administration Unit acts as the guardian (Conservator) of individuals found to be gravely disabled due to a mental disorder and/or alcoholism. With the assistance of County Counsel, cases are taken to court for adjudication and periodic review. Behavioral Health staff provides placement of individuals in Institutions for Mental Disease, State Hospital, Board and Care or Independent Placements. Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician services will be provided to each conservatee to monitor the care provided and ensure that the conservatee’s needs are being fully addressed. Additionally, Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician services consist of collaboration with treatment staff and regular facility site visits. Behavioral Health staff provides coordination of the legal adjudication of the Conservatee, maintains eligibility status for benefits that he/ she is entitled to receive, and facilitates preparations needed for periodic court hearings. LPS Conservatees are cared for in a manner that provides the least restrictive care that is needed and rehabilitative goals designed to restore levels of functioning. It is the goal of the LPS Conservatorship Unit to assist for Imperial County Residents placed on LPS Conservatorship return to independent living and reintegration to the community.
1699 W. Main St., Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7901
Incompetent to Stand Trial
Services include psychological and psychiatric evaluation of misdemeanor or felony defendants who have been referred by the court for an evaluation to determine if a defendant is mentally competent to stand trial for a criminal offense. If a defendant is determined to be incompetent to stand trial, recommendations are made to the court regarding steps that are needed to restore the defendant to mental competency so the defendant can stand trial. This will include recommendations on placement and treatment. Defendants are case managed in order to monitor the defendant’s treatment status.
1699 W. Main Street, Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7901
Diversion Program
Imperial County Behavioral Health Services (ICBHS) recently established a memorandum of understanding with the Imperial County Office of the Public Defender to initiate and establish the Mental Health Diversion (MHD) Program within Imperial County. The MHD program serves as an opportunity for defendants charged with a crime to go through Mental Health Treatment. The MHD program lasts about a year to a year and a half, depending on the court rulings. During the course of treatment, the defendant’s proceedings are frozen until the defendant completes the Mental Health program. ICBHS is mandated to give the court and the district attorney periodic reports on the clients’ progress or lack of progress. Based on these reports, the court determines if the proceedings are unfrozen and the charges continue, or if all records of the arrest that led to the charges are sealed and destroyed. Under the Diversion Program, individuals are linked with the corresponding outpatient clinics to initiate mental treatment that may include Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician Services, Therapy Services, and/or Medication support.
1699 W. Main Street, Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7901
Mental Health Services Act Transitional Engagement & Supportive Services (TESS) Program
The Mental Health Services Act Transitional Engagement and Supportive Services (TESS) program provides outreach and engagement activities to individuals who have recently experienced a personal crisis in their life requiring involuntary or voluntary mental health crisis intervention services. TESS creates a supportive services network that includes assisting the client in obtaining food, clothing, shelter, benefits assistance, assistance with public transportation, establishing contract with family, friends, significant others, and linkage to health care and other community resources. In addition, individuals who have recently been released from LPS Conservatorship receive supportive services to assist them in reintegrating back into the community, accessing mental health treatment, and securing a supportive environment.
1699 W. Main Street, Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(760) 265-7200
Mental Health Services Act Community Engagement Supportive Services (CESS) Program
The Mental Health Services Act Community Engagement Supportive Services (CESS) Program provides community outreach and engagement services to individuals 14 years and older including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The focus of the CESS program is to engage and address the specific needs of each outreached individual in order to increase their support system and their willingness to seek needed Mental Health Services. Based on medical necessity, assistance provided by the CESS program can include an expedited intake assessment, linkage to an Imperial County Behavioral Health outpatient clinic, and referrals to needed community resources. Additionally, the CESS program provides screening and referral services at the Imperial County Jail to individuals who will soon be released from incarceration to ensure individuals are successfully reintegrated back into the community and linked to needed mental health treatment.
1699 W. Main St., Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7200
Mental Health Services Act - Portland Identification and Early Referral - Full Service Partnership Program
The Portland Identification and Early Referral – Full Service Partnership (PIER-FSP) was implemented as part of the Phase III of PIER Model. The PIER-FSP program provides Multifamily Groups (MFG) that provide the opportunity for families (client with parents, siblings, partners, and/or other social supports) to meet with clinical staff and other PIER families to learn more about the troubling symptoms. These services and supports include a focus on recovery and resiliency, shared decision-making that is client centered, and maintenance of an optimistic therapeutic perspective at all times.
1699 W. Main St., Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7901
AB-109 Program
The AB-109 Program provides Assessment and Motivational Interviewing services to individuals recently released from county jail who are low-level and non-violent offenders. Imperial County Behavioral Health Services staff works in conjunction with the Imperial County Probation Department to ensure this population receives the services necessary; such as outreach and engagement, linkage to community resources, and referrals to needed mental health services and substance use disorder programs. ICBHS program staff utilize evidence-based practices when providing these services.
324 Applestill Rd.
El Centro, CA 92243
(760) 265-2484
Projects for Assistance in Transition Homelessness (PATH) Program
The PATH Homeless Program provides short-term targeted case management services focusing on placement and linkage assistance to individuals 18 years and older that are diagnosed with an included mental illness. These individuals must demonstrate a lack of adequate shelter, funding, and other available resources to assist with his/her homelessness. Placement and linkage services include assisting individuals in obtaining emergency shelter, food, medical care, mental health services, benefits acquisition, and contact with family members with whom they have lost contact. On occasion transportation assistance is provided to individuals in order to return them to family.
202 North 8th Street, 1st Floor
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-1526
Connecting To Care (CTC)
Imperial County Behavioral Health Services (ICBHS) was awarded County Medical Services Program – Local Indigent Care Needs grant funds to expand and improve the continuum of care for low income uninsured and under-insured adults that lacks access to mental health and substance abuse services in Imperial County. This fund will enhance the service delivery system as follows:
1) ICBHS will co-locate a staff member at the County Jail to serve as liaison for individuals pending release from incarceration to needed services and resources.
2) ICBHS will place additional staff at the local emergency departments to screen individuals identified to be in need of mental health and/or substance use services. Staff will develop individualized transition plan that will include after-care services with a focus on engagement and retention into needed services.
3) ICBHS will increase staff in the existing Crisis Co-Response Team to continue to co respond with Law Enforcement Agencies to the 911 calls from the community. Additional services will include the transportation of clients from the outpatient clinics or community locations who do not pose a threat to staff. Staff will also provide follow up care after a psychiatric crisis to ensure a warm hand-off to the appropriate mental health or substance use treatment team.
202 North 8th Street, 1st Floor
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-1526
