WellSpan Health has opened the WellSpan Behavioral Health Walk-In Crisis Center in Adams County, providing immediate, community-based behavioral health services for individuals facing a mental health crisis. The center, located in the Gettysburg Shopping Center at 39 West Street, Gettysburg, PA, is designed to offer compassionate and nonjudgmental care in a safe environment, available seven days a week without the need for appointments or referrals.
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Michael Cogliano Sr., vice president of WellSpan Health and president of WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital, emphasized the center's role in providing immediate support within the community. He stated, "This center will offer people in crisis a welcoming front door to care right here in our community."
Dr. Ken Rogers, vice president and chief medical officer of WellSpan Behavioral Health, added that mental health crises are unpredictable, making expanded access to care essential. He noted that the center aims to reduce barriers and stigma, providing a calm, therapeutic environment where individuals can receive assessments, stabilization, and connections to ongoing support.
The Walk-In Crisis Center serves individuals of all ages experiencing acute emotional, mental, or behavioral distress. Key services include walk-in access, same-day assessments by behavioral health professionals, comprehensive suicide and violence risk assessments, short-term treatment, and stabilization. A multidisciplinary team, which may include licensed clinicians, nurses, and peer support professionals, collaborates to create personalized stabilization plans and facilitate follow-up care.
For those presenting with higher medical needs, the center will arrange transportation to a hospital emergency department. WellSpan Crisis Intervention will continue to offer mobile crisis services in York and Adams counties.
This initiative has been made possible through partnerships with York/Adams HealthChoices and the Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities programs in both counties, along with Community Care Behavioral Health. Adams County President Commissioner Randy Phiel expressed pride in the collaboration, stating that the center represents a significant step towards ensuring timely and compassionate care for residents in distress.
James Myers, regional director for Community Care Behavioral Health, remarked on the importance of early and compassionate responses during crises, which can lead to better long-term outcomes for individuals and families. The center provides a direct option for those in need of mental health support, complementing existing resources such as the local crisis line at 717-851-5320 or 800-673-2496.