Johnson County, Iowa, is opening a $6.5 million service center to reduce emergency room visits for patients experiencing mental health and substance abuse crises, according to The Daily Iowan.
The center will include a sobering unit, crisis observation, crisis stabilization and detoxification, and a permanent place to keep the winter low-barrier shelter, according to Jessica Peckover, jail alternatives coordinator for Johnson County.
The sobering unit will allow patients to stay for four to six hours to become sober instead of receiving a public intoxication charge, Ms. Peckover added. The center will also offer crisis observation for up to 23 hours, assess whether patients need further treatment and allow patients to stay at the center for up to five days until they become more stable.
"Communities that have implemented similar programs have seen reductions in the number of jail inmates over time, as well as a reduction in ER visits," said Mike Carberry, vice chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.
The center is anticipated to open in the next 18 to 24 months.