Sheppard Pratt Psychiatric Urgent Care Center in Baltimore, Maryland, says it “is specially designed for people who need an immediate psychiatric triage.”
A walk-in mental health facility in Maryland gives people a place to turn when in a crisis.
Sheppard Pratt Psychiatric Urgent Care Center in Baltimore, Maryland, says it “is specially designed for people who need an immediate psychiatric triage.”
No appointment is necessary for people of all ages to get the mental health support they need.
Pam Yerby Hammack told CBS News that her previously undiagnosed depression and anxiety was “traumatic.”
"I spent all of this time in a place of fear and, and panic, confusion, darkness,” she said.
Her daughter directed her to the Sheppard Pratt center, a place where no appointment is necessary for people to get the mental health support they need.
Dr. Harsh Trivedi, CEO of Sheppard Pratt, estimates the clinic will evaluate 10,000 patients this year, lightening the load on area emergency rooms.
“What we're seeing is a tremendous rise in need for mental health services, people wanting to access care, but really getting stuck at the point where they don't know how to access care,” Dr. Trivedi told CBS News.
The clinicians provide recommendations for next steps, which may range from starting weekly therapy to inpatient hospital stays.
“What we find is that the best time to intervene or the best time to help people is specifically when they're in crisis, when they want that help,” Dr. Trivedi added.
Expanding clinics like this one could help with mental health related calls to 911 or visits to medical emergency rooms.
According to data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, there were 7.5 million mental health related visits to the ER in 2020 for patients aged 6 to 24 years old.
