Craighead County Regional CSU opens

State and local officials and leaders, and Mid-South Health Systems staff, join Gov. Asa Hutchinson in cutting the ribbon in front of the Craighead County Crisis Stabilization Unit located in Jonesboro.

Craighead County Regional CSU opens in Jonesboro

Story and Photos by Holland Doran AAC Communications Coordinator

The Craighead County Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), the state’s fourth unit, was unveiled to the public during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 9.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Craighead County Judge Marvin Day, Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd, and Midsouth Health Systems Executive Director Ruth Allison Dover spoke to a large crowd of state legislators, and local and county officials and leaders.

The new CSU will serve 20 counties in Northeast Arkansas. Law enforcement from each of the 20 counties can refer and transport those in a mental health crisis to the CSU.

CSUs also operate in Sebastian, Pulaski, and Washington counties. The Craighead County CSU is the last facility authorized by Act 423 — legislation that passed with bipartisan support in March 2017. The act established the four CSUs and mandated crisis intervention training to teach law enforcement officers to recognize and deescalate a mental-illness crisis.

At the ceremony, Gov. Hutchinson said the CSU is “an important step in bridging a gap between communities in Northeast Arkansas.”

“This unit is designed to more effectively respond to individuals suffering a mental health crisis and ensure they receive the services they need,” he said. “The partnership between the state and the four counties of this pilot program is on the forefront of efforts in our state to help those in a mental health crisis. I believe in the promise of these units to better serve the people of our state.”

Craighead County Judge Marvin Day thanked Gov. Hutchinson for fully supporting the CSUs.

“Thanks to our governor, some Arkansans will receive the appropriate assistance to help them overcome their obstacles,” Day said. “The governor has made this moment happen here in northeast Arkansas.”

Sheriff Marty Boyd said the plans for the CSU have been in the works for four years. He said he is excited to see the plans become reality.

“If we can see someone that has an illness and step in front and make a difference in that person’s life and do the moral thing and get them treatment and get them diagnosed instead of charged and incarcerated time and time again — that’s what this is about. That’s what I think we’ll see take place,” Boyd said.

Midsouth Health Systems is operating the facility, which accepted its first patient Oct. 8, less than a month after its ribbon cutting.

With 16 beds, Midsouth Health Systems is prepared to accommodate 100 admissions per month, Midsouth Health Systems Executive Director Ruth Allison Dover said.

“This CSU will offer a professionally staffed facility for residents who are experiencing an acute mental health crisis,” she said. “CSUs provide hospital diversion services in a safe environment with onsite psychiatric and co-occurring substance abuse services.”

Dover thanked Craighead County, Day, Boyd and the Craighead County quorum court for their “steadfast leadership in making this project happen.”

“Judge Day and Sheriff Boyd have been resolute in their advocacy for a diversion program such as this crisis unit,” she said.

Dover thanked law enforcement for the “groundwork” they have done by completing 40 hours of crisis intervention training. Almost 100 officers in the area have completed the training.

“Those officers are all trained to recognize signs and symptoms of mental illness and respond with diversion instead of jail when treatment is needed,” Dover said.

The 20 counties the CSU will serve are Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Fulton, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Lee, Mississippi, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, Randolph, Sharp, St. Francis, White, and Woodruff.