Right now, as we know, there are many busy emergency departments receiving intake from the police, who are taking people to hospitals for care often as a first source, or people don't know where to go for care. With this 24-7 design for people to be welcomed to get the services and connected to the services they need, it supports access, supports navigation and de-escalates crisis. All three things are the major cause of people escalating or their symptoms escalating.
We know for sure that people who are connected to care are less likely to return to emergency departments. We know that people with serious and persistent mental illness need welcoming spaces to go where they are welcomed and not treated as if they are “frequent flyers”, but seen as welcomed into the care they need and where they can go somewhere, even it it's just to have that socialization so that they can get the support. It will reduce the burden on hospitals in dealing with patients who would be more appropriately serviced in community, as well as supporting clients and families as young as 12 years old to get connected to care easily, quickly and in an integrated manner.