Community Stabilization Services

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Community Stabilization services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide for short-term assessment, crisis intervention, and care coordination to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.  Services may include brief therapeutic and skill building interventions, engagement of natural supports, interventions to integrate natural supports in the de-escalation and stabilization of the crisis, and coordination of follow-up services.  Services involve advocacy and networking to provide linkages and referrals to appropriate community-based services and assisting the individual and their natural support system in accessing other benefits or assistance programs for which they may be eligible. 

The goal of Community Stabilization services is to stabilize the individual within their community and support the individual and natural support system during the following: 1) between an initial Mobile Crisis Response and entry into an established follow-up service at the appropriate level of care if the appropriate level of care is identified but not immediately available for access 2) as a transitional step-down from a higher level of care if the next level of care is identified but not immediately available or 3) as a diversion from a higher level of care.

Individuals must meet the following criteria:

1. Documentation indicates evidence that the individual currently meets the criteria for a primary diagnosis consistent with the most recent version of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) diagnosis that correlates with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual; and
2. The individual has demonstrated a level of acuity indicating that they are at risk for crisis-cycling or dangerous decompensation in functioning and additional support in the form of community stabilization is required to prevent an acute inpatient admission; and
3. Prior to admission, the individual must meet either a. or b. below:
   1. The individual is residing in a Therapeutic Group Home or ASAM 3.1; or
   2. The individual needs community stabilization as a transition due to either i. or ii. below and also meets iii. Below:
      1.  An LMHP, LMHP-R, LMHP-RP or LMHP-S at a Community Services Board (CSB) same-day access intake, a Managed Care Organization, or Fee-For-Service contractor determines Community Stabilization is needed to support a transition in care and link an individual to appropriate services; or
      2. The individual is being discharged from one of the below services:
         1. 23-Hour Crisis Stabilization
         2. Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Services
         3. ASAM levels 3.1 – 4.0
         4. Hospital Emergency Department
         5. Short-term detention or incarceration
         6. Mobile Crisis Response
         7. Partial Hospitalization Program (Mental Health or ARTS)
         8. Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility
         9. Residential Crisis Stabilization Unit
         10. Therapeutic Group Home
      3. Individuals meeting either criteria i. or criteria ii. above must also meet the following additional criteria:
         1. The service that the individual needs and is recommended by a professional listed in item i. above or a professional coordinating the discharge plan from services listed in item ii. above is not currently available for immediate access;
         2. A clinically appropriate and specific behavioral health service provider referral(s) has been identified and a plan for the timeline of transition from Community Stabilization to that provider has been established and documented. If the timeline for this transition exceeds 2 weeks, the Community Stabilization provider has documented communications with additional, specific service providers to support alternative service options or potentially faster access to the recommended service type.