The Crisis Stabilization Unit

The Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) allows for diversion from law enforcement and emergency department (ED) services providing a more responsive crisis continuum of care. Important features include built design, peer support integration, interprofessional care with flexible length of stay, rapid access to holistic care, and minimal barriers to care. Care delivery entails initial biopsychosocial assessment, psychiatric treatment planning, brief, regular psychotherapy, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care practices, safety planning, peer support, disposition management, and care coordination. The CSU model improves psychiatric symptom burden, ED length of stay and recidivism, crisis care utilization and cost, as well as post-discharge follow-up.