An ER for mental health: How access centers help patients in crisis

OGDEN — When he was 78, Jerry Smith said a side effect from his heart medication sent him into a spiral he never expected.

"It just put me into a tailspin; I'd never had anxiety like that, or depression like that," he said.

Smith said he couldn't sleep and couldn't focus on daily tasks.

"My whole body was just anxious," he said. "I didn't know how to deal with it."

After a couple of trips to the emergency room, he found the Behavioral Health Access Center at McKay-Dee Hospital, where he met with mental health professionals and received a care plan tailored to him.

"This facility is designed for people like me who need professional help," he said. "We hear the word 'anxiety' all the time, and I didn't really understand that. And you don't understand it until you've had it."

"Many people, you know, they've gone their whole life feeling like they can manage things on their own, and then something changes, and they need help," said Brooke Estes, a behavioral health specialist at the access center.

She explained that it functions like an emergency room for mental health and substance use crises. Adults can walk in 24/7 and meet with nurses, licensed therapists and psychiatrists.

"Everything is with mental health needs in mind," Estes said. "Even when you are in that state of crisis, when it may feel like there are not solutions or there aren't people who care, there are many people who care, and there is reason for hope."

Smith said he is feeling significantly better, and the support he received made all the difference.

"I'm so grateful to be to this point. They saved me," he said.

Intermountain Health also operates behavioral health access centers at LDS Hospital and St. George Regional Hospital, and is set to open another at Alta View Hospital in June.

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