DANVILLE, Va. – Keeping people out of the hospital — and out of jail.
“The last thing they want to see is bars,” nurse Sabrina Wood said.
That’s the goal of Calm Source’s new 23-hour-a-day crisis intervention center in Danville.
Director of Operations Leon Zimmermann III tells 10 News the need is great when it comes to mental health resources.
“One of the lines we use a lot is, ‘It’s okay not to be okay.’ Some people struggle with the idea of what’s good and what is not good, and so it’s being open and being fair and being understanding and nonjudgmental to help people,” Zimmermann said.
Before the center opened, two of the only options for people experiencing a crisis were a hospital — or jail. Something crisis center nurse Sabrina Wood said takes things from bad to worse.
“That’s just gonna hype it up more. You’re already going through a mental crisis and seeing that will hype up that crisis more,” Wood said.
No matter what time of day or night someone comes in, they’re greeted by a receptionist, and taken to a nurse like Wood to make sure there isn’t an underlying medical problem.
“Nine times out of ten we find out either they’re out of medicine or have no resources to get their medicine, or even need medicine and don’t even realize it. You’re breaking down for a reason, you know, we get them stable,” Wood said.
Then they’re brought to one of the rooms to meet with a mental health professional. Zimmermann tells us the average visit lasts six to seven hours, while they help prepare the person for the next steps.
“We just want to give people a space to feel safe,” Zimmermann said.