Youth Crisis Stabilization Center
Johnson County Mental Health Center's Youth Crisis Stabilization Center is an 11-bed crisis stabilization program for young people in Johnson County experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The program is housed at the Youth & Family Services Center in Olathe.
The YCSC provides care for young people between the ages of 10 and 17 with an average length of stay being three to five days. The program's staff includes a clinician, a case manager, a nurse, an admissions coordinator, and several behavioral health specialists providing treatment and around-the-clock supervision.
Program Goals
- Address one of the most significant gaps in care for young people in Johnson County.
- Provide an option for immediate behavioral health intervention and treatment.
- Stabilize a young person's behavioral health during a short-term stay through individual, group and family counseling, coping strategies and mood/behavioral management.
- Work with a young person and their family to develop a safety plan before returning home.
- Connect a young person and their family to continuing care at JCMHC or other service providers in the community.
Services
- Individual and family therapy
- Case management
- Psychosocial groups
Eligibility
- Young people between 10 and 17 years of age.
- Johnson County residents.
- Capable of self-care and not in need of major medical or psychiatric care.
- Voluntary participation in treatment.
Referrals
Referrals to the Youth Crisis Stabilization Center are made through the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) operated by the Johnson County Department of Corrections. The JIAC helps young people and their families connect to appropriate services and resources.
Johnson County Mental Health Center clients may also be referred. If your child receives services at JCMHC, please talk to your treatment team about the referral and admission process.
For more information about the Youth Crisis Stabilization Center or to ask questions about a potential referral:
FAQ
The YCSC's focus is on treatment, family dynamics and connections to community-based services. We do not have a psychiatry provider at the YCSC and will not do medication changes during a stay.
A child can only be admitted to the YCSC in response to a crisis situation. Stays cannot be scheduled in advance, and there must be a clinical determination that the stay is necessary because of a current or recent crisis.
These are the treatment goals for clients staying at the YCSC:
- Stabilizing behavior
- Introducing new coping strategies and skills
- Understanding and processing of the crisis situation
- Connecting back to community-based services
No. We are currently accepting referrals from the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) or Johnson County Mental Health Center (JCMHC) staff. If your child is a current JCMHC client, please talk with your child's treatment team about a referral to the YCSC and the process for admission.
Please bring the items below for your child's stay at the YCSC:
- Comfortable clothing for three days. We can wash clothing, if needed.
- Sneakers or preferred footwear.
- Some personal hygiene items, like face wash, body wash, shampoo, lotion, or a hair brush. We have basic hygiene items.
- Any current medications in original containers. Bubble packs are preferred.
- Up to two approved personal items:
- Blanket
- Book
- Non-spiral-bound notebook or journal
- Fidgets made of soft materials
The items below cannot be brought to the YCSC:
- Aersols
- Hygiene items over 12 ounces
- Hygiene items in glass or metal containers
- Razors
- Makeup
- Stuffed animals (We have some stuffed animals, if needed.)
- Electronics (phone, tablet, personal gaming device)
- Slime or putty
- Clothing with inappropriate or triggering graphics or text
- Clothing with drug-related or alcohol-related symbols or brands
Yes. Because of the short-term nature of stays at the YCSC, you will need to bring your child's medications to ensure they will have them during their stay. If your child is on medications, please bring their medications in the original containers or bubble packs.
The YCSC does have limited access to Genoa Pharmacy, JCMHC's on-site pharmacy.
The YCSC has a daily schedule run by our staff that includes:
- A variety of groups based on client needs: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), coping skills, life skills, anger management, healthy communication, healthy relationships and boundaries.
Yes. YCSC clients can make phone calls to approved contacts during the approved time in the daily schedule, currently 5-6 p.m. Clients can only make outgoing phone calls, and it is their choice whether to make phone calls or not.
If there is unsafe behavior during a stay at the YCSC that falls outside of our scope, our staff will get law enforcement involved and make recommendations for the next level of care. Based on the behavior, that next level could include:
- Hospitalization (self-harm or suicidal ideation with intent or plan)
- Criminal charges (significant property destruction or physical aggression)
Your child's clinician or treatment team will coordinate with you while your child is at the YCSC to discuss current behavior, progress toward goals and discharge date and time.
Weekend discharges: Discharges can happen over the weekend. Weekend discharges are decided by the end of the business day on Friday.