The McLean County Government is pleased to announce the opening of the Mental Health Triage Center, located at the southwest corner of the first floor of the 200 W. Front Street building in Bloomington, Illinois. This building also houses the clinics for the McLean County Health Department, the Regional Office of Education, Collaborative Solutions, and other entities.
For individuals who have historically used local emergency departments or the jail, the McLean County Triage Center (Triage Center) provides a diversionary location that intends to assess and refer individuals to
available community services as appropriate, in a more calming environment. The Triage Center’s long-term plan includes hours of operation 24 hour a day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year with walk-in access for community residents. As a comprehensive resource for diversion, assessment, and referral, the Triage Center focuses on providing services to individuals regardless of funding source.
The diversionary nature of the Triage Center supports law enforcement to complete a warm hand-off of individuals experiencing mental health concerns with intent to divert them from entering the justice system
when the presenting concern is behavioral health in nature. These individuals may connect with law enforcement with minor offenses or ordinance violations and would benefit from a direct connection with
behavioral health services versus incarceration. Protocol established with local law enforcement helps ensure that their referrals of individuals to the Triage Center do not pose a risk of imminent harm to themselves or others, nor do they need immediate medical care.
The Triage Center is a missing piece of the behavioral health crisis system in McLean County. The function of the Triage Center is key in ensuring that individuals are linked to the right care and supports in the
moment they need it. Decisions made at the Triage Center determine whether a person will receive further assessment through specialized mental health services and, if so, the type and urgency of the response. While the primary goal of the Triage Center is to provide compassion and resources to individuals in a behavioral health crisis, further goals include reduction in unnecessary emergency department visits or incarcerations, and savings across multiple systems.
The Triage Center will initially open following the existing building hours for the 200 W. Front Street building from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will expand in the near future. Additional details about services and
hours will be able to be found at www.mcleancountyil.gov following March 13, 2020.
