URGENT MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS RETURNING TO SCHOOL

Students can Access Free Mental Health Urgent Care Centers in LA County 

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1,400 schools will be starting next week throughout Los Angeles County, and many of those students will be at an elevated risk of experiencing a mental health crisis due to the associated stresses of a new classroom and classmates. In fact, August is typically one of the busiest months at the three Star View Behavioral Health Urgent Care Centers in Los Angeles County where children and adolescents receive free treatment 24/7 for mental health crises.

Star View's Behavioral Health Urgent Care Centers (BHUCCs, pronounced "Bucks") in Long Beach, City of Industry, and Lancaster are much like an urgent care for medical emergencies except the focus is on stabilizing a mental health crisis. Walk-ins are welcome, and no appointments are needed.

Students heading back to school experience numerous stressful social situations like bullying and self-image issues in addition to fear of school violence that can lead to anxiousness, depression, and even suicidal ideation. At these behavioral health urgent care centers, children and adults may stay up to 24 hours, and psychiatrists and mental health specialists can help them de-escalate and can prescribe any needed medications or ongoing treatment.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 50% of mental illness begins by age 14 and three-quarters begins by age 24. A 2024 study by Mental Health America found that 13% of youth ages 12-17 reported suicidal thoughts. Early intervention can help reduce the severity of a mental illness and can improve outcomes. However, about 50% of young Americans with severe depression receive no treatment, according to the Mental Health America study.

These short-term centers provide a place for those with a mental illness to work through their crisis and find stability without the need to spend hours at a hospital emergency room. The BHUCCs also provide an alternative to law enforcement intervention and relief for impacted emergency rooms. The BHUCC is warm, open and doesn't have the sterile feeling of an emergency room. Doctors, nurses, clinicians, and peer workers provide short-term therapy and medication management as needed.

These BHUCCs can address mental health crises and treat children and adolescents far better than typical emergency rooms. In fact, many other states and counties have followed this model and it's still a relatively new trend.

Operated by Star View Behavioral Health under contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, these three BHUCCs are open to everyone with or without insurance. These centers are part of the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health's large continuum of care programs throughout the county.

Star View's Behavioral Health Urgent Care Centers are programs of Stars Behavioral Health Group. For more information on the BHUCCs, visit www.starsinc.com/programs/bhucc. Services are free, all insurance plans are accepted, and people can either walk in or call ahead for wait times. Long Beach: (562) 548-6565; City of Industry: (626) 626-4997; Lancaster (661) 522-6770.

CONTACT:
Jill Shannon (949) 330-3316
[email protected]

SOURCE Stars Behavioral Health Group