State Now Accepting Applications for Regional Crisis Stabilization Units, Gov. Hutchinson Announces
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Hutchinson today announced that the application process for Crisis Stabilization Units is now open. Crisis Stabilization Units (CSU) were a major part of Governor Hutchinson’s 2017 legislative agenda after they were recommended by the Criminal Justice Task Force.
Act 423, establishing the CSU pilot program, received strong bipartisan support in both houses of the legislature and was signed into law by Governor Hutchinson on March 8, 2017.
CSUs are short term clinical facilities that provide assessment and treatment services for individuals with behavioral health conditions. The goal of these centers is to reduce the number of mentally ill and others with behavioral health conditions who enter jails and emergency rooms; these facilities are not designed or equipped to handle individuals with these conditions. Appropriate care will result in better outcomes for these individuals, and, in addition, it will decrease the strain and cost on our county jails.
Governor Hutchinson encouraged eligible governmental entities who are interested in establishing CSUs to visit the Governor’s website, HERE<https://t.e2ma.net/click/twgr3b/d0onv1/5taa83>, to submit an online application. Submissions will be presented to the Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force, which will review all applications and make the selections. Applications must be submitted no later than midnight on June 30, 2017, to be considered. Three applicants will be selected for the pilot program
Arkansas governmental entities selected to participate will be required to provide an appropriate physical site to operate a CSU with adequate space and proximity to both the county’s criminal-justice institutions and to a partnering behavioral-health facility. The agency also must prove it can cover the cost to maintain the facility.
CONTACT: Press Shop (press@governor.arkansas.gov<mailto:press@governor.arkansas.gov> or 501.682.3612)