Places For People joins SSM Health and City to make first Behavioral Health Urgent Care in St. Louis City possible
ST. LOUIS (August 19, 2024) – Places for People will play a pivotal role in making behavioral healthcare accessible in our region when the first behavioral health urgent care in the City of St. Louis opens later this month.
On Monday, August 19, 2024, Places for People (PFP) joined project partners SSM Health and the City of St. Louis, as well as other stakeholders, for a ribbon cutting of the SSM Health Behavioral Health Urgent Care and Long-Acting Injection Clinic at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital.
“This exciting project will address a service disparity in one of the highest need areas of the region and support the behavioral health safety net system,” says Tony Hilkin, Places for People Chief Executive Officer. “Unprecedented numbers have been seeking behavioral healthcare and using emergency rooms and crisis services to get support. We are proud to be a part of the solution by helping divert people to more effective resources and long-term care linkages.”
Opening August 27, the first Behavioral Health Urgent Care in the City of St. Louis will operate Monday through Saturday from 9a.m. to 7p.m. at 3635 Vista Avenue, St. Louis, MO. Visits will be on a walk-in basis for maximum accessibility. The former emergency room has been renovated to include 11 total examination rooms – eight for the Behavioral Health Urgent Care and three for the Long-Acting Injection Clinic. Places for People will be responsible for providing behavioral health diagnostic and assessment services, as well as supporting people with referrals for further care to behavioral health providers in the community with our City Department of Behavioral Health partner.
“Our work will focus on preventing and/or stabilizing a crisis in a convenient location and by providing accessible high-quality care, then providing ongoing care when needed. We are prepared to be able to support complex needs and help people achieve stability. Know that we will be here, you will not be turned away, and there is no charge. Come see us,” emphasizes Barb Zawier, Vice President of Illume & Strategic Partnerships at Places for People.
This project highlights the importance of collaboration. In addition to the clinical collaboration between Places for People, SSM Health, and the City of St. Louis, PFP has received financial support for the project from the Missouri Department of Mental Health and the St. Louis Mental Health Board.
“We’re proud to be a partner in this new innovative project to meet people where they are and to address their behavioral health needs,” says Tony Hilkin, Places for People Chief Executive Officer.
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About Places for People: Since 1972, Places for People has provided a human approach to health and healing, with a focus on mental and physical health, as well as substance use disorders. The organization, which is one of the only Certified Community Behavioral Health Organizations (CCBHO) in St. Louis City or County, has 360+ employees and serves more than 3,150 people of all ages annually. Learn more at placesforpeople.org.
About SSM Health
SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit, fully integrated health system dedicated to advancing innovative, sustainable, and compassionate care for patients and communities throughout the Midwest and beyond. The organization’s 40,000 team members and 12,800 providers are committed to fulfilling SSM Health’s Mission: “Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God.”
With care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, SSM Health includes hospitals, physician offices, outpatient and virtual care services, senior care facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a fully transparent pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization. It is one of the largest employers in every community it serves. For more information, visit ssmhealth.com or find us on Facebook and LinkedIn.