Crisis Receiving Center (CRC)
Service Overview
Crisis Receiving Center (CRC)
Also known as a 23-Hour Center, serving individuals of all ages, with separate programming for individuals under 18 years of age. Services included are assessment, crisis intervention, and level of care recommendation and referral for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Services are offered for up to 23 hours in a non-hospital, community-based crisis stabilization setting at our Old Lynchburg Road campus.
CRCs play a critical role in an effective crisis system by accepting referrals from crisis lines, mobile crisis teams, law enforcement, as well as walk-ins and community referrals.
The goals of the Crisis Receiving Center (CRC) is to:
• Determine the immediate needs of the individual in crisis.
• Provide appropriate treatment throughout the 23 hours.
• Coordinate care for ongoing needs and support to facilitate safe return to the community.
CITAC:
Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center (CITAC)
CITAC is a designated facility where law enforcement officers can transport individuals, who are in behavioral health crisis, and are under an Emergency Custody Order (ECO), to a safe and caring environment, for a comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional.
This model offers a therapeutic alternative to emergency rooms or jails, focusing on de-escalation and appropriate care. CITAC offers 24/7 support through partnerships between Region Ten CSB, law enforcement, and healthcare providers.
- Available Locations
FAQs
You can find answers to our most frequently asked questions about this service here. If you’ve got a question we haven’t covered, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Where is the CITAC located? CITAC is on the Old Lynchburg Road Campus of Region Ten CSB. It is available 24/7 for individuals under ECO. Local law enforcement can bring individuals to CITAC as an alternative to going to the Emergency Department.
What is the CRC Admission Criteria? A person may be eligible for services if they are currently experiencing a serious mental health or substance use crisis and need immediate support.
To qualify, the individual must:
- Be in an active behavioral health crisis, and
- Have symptoms consistent with a diagnosable mental health condition.
In addition, the person (or someone close to them) reports at least one of the following:
- Thoughts, threats, plans, or actions related to suicide or harming others
- A sudden or worsening loss of control over thoughts, emotions, or behavior that could lead to harm
- A significant decline in functioning that is disrupting life at home, school, work, or in the community
- Symptoms that are rapidly getting worse and could require hospitalization without intervention
- An intense stress reaction that could lead to serious emotional or behavioral decline without prompt help
The Crisis Receiving Center is appropriate when:
- The person’s symptoms are likely to stabilize within about 23 hours with short-term crisis care, or
- The individual needs a safe and supportive setting for observation and evaluation to determine next steps, or
- Without urgent help, the person is likely to worsen in ways that interfere with daily life, relationships, housing, school, work, or community involvement.
What is an Emergency Custody Order (ECO)? In Virginia, an Emergency Custody Order (ECO) is a court order that authorizes law enforcement to take a person into custody for up to 8 hours for an emergency mental health evaluation. It can be issued by the magistrate or initiated by a law enforcement officer in the field. Criteria for an ECO: the person has a mental illness and as a result of that mental illness they are in crisis, posing a substantial, immediate risk of harming themselves or others, or incapable of self-care. A magistrate will take testimony and issue an ECO if the criteria are met. Police then would be dispatched to serve the order and take the person into custody for the evaluation at a designated safe location. This could be the emergency department or CITAC. Region Ten-certified pre-screeners are required to evaluate any person in custody under an ECO. If the evaluators find that the only way to ensure safety is admission to the hospital, they will petition the magistrate for a temporary detention order (TDO).
What is a Temporary Detention Order (TDO)? This order will admit the person for inpatient behavioral health treatment at UVa or another psychiatric hospital. After approximately three days, during which the person undergoes a psychiatric assessment, a special justice hears evidence in a commitment hearing held at the admitting hospital.
What is a Civil Commitment? At the commitment hearing, the special justice decides, based on evidence presented by the treating psychiatrist, an independent evaluator, and a representative from the community services board, if the person meets legal criteria to remain in the hospital for ongoing treatment. The legal criteria is always the same four questions:
- Is the person experiencing a mental illness?
- Are they at risk of harm to self/others because of that illness?
- Is hospitalization or treatment the only way to reduce that risk?
- Is the person unwilling or unable to agree to the treatment?
If the answer to any of the questions becomes “no,” the person can agree to voluntary treatment or be discharged.
Where is the magistrate’s office located? The nearest magistrate’s office is at 1610 Avon St. Extended in Charlottesville, VA.