Connections, the tri‑county crisis walk‑in center serving Cumberland, Perry and Dauphin counties, updated Cumberland County officials on operations, use and partnership status and outlined remaining challenges and near‑term steps on Thursday.

Britney McCarthy, the strategic account manager for Connections, said the center has a 100% acceptance rate and averages about nine adult walk‑ins per day. “Our mission is providing immediate care to people in crisis and connecting them to long term support in their community,” McCarthy said. She and Kimberly Jones, vice president of clinical operations, described the center’s service lines, data through April and work to speed handoffs from emergency departments and law enforcement.

County officials were shown that Connections operates a walk‑in urgent care on Cameron Street, a 23‑hour‑59‑minute observation unit for stabilization, outpatient recovery/transition services and a mobile crisis response team. The mobile team began rolling out December 4, adult services launched December 11, and youth services (age 14–17) launched January 13, officials said. The data presented covered December through April and is available in a monthly report the provider will share with county staff.

Why this matters: Connections is intended to reduce arrests and emergency room visits for behavioral health crises by offering a lower‑acuity, faster alternative. The center reported a door‑to‑dock urgent‑care wait of about 42 minutes for adults and 47 minutes for youth, an average observation length of stay of about 16 hours, and a mobile crisis median response time across the region of 19 minutes. The provider said hospital partners — including UPMC Harrisburg — have reported decreases in behavioral‑health cases since Connections opened; UPMC Harrisburg reported about a 20% decrease, according to the presentation, though Connections staff said diversion figures are being validated before formal release.

Partnerships and pathways: Connections described outreach to law enforcement and hospitals, saying Carlisle Police is among the top referral sources in Cumberland County and that the center does not go on divert for law enforcement back‑door drop offs. The provider meets regularly with Penn State Health, Holy Spirit and UPMC, and is working to expand hospital contacts and create smoother transfers.

An EMS drop‑off pilot and regulatory work: Connections staff said they are piloting an EMS drop‑off program and are working with the state EMS medical director, Dr. Bledsoe, on regulatory changes to allow formal EMS drop‑offs to the center. That pilot, including EMS training and staff training at Connections, is targeted to launch in July, the provider said. The provider is also collecting two key metrics for the pilot: number of EMS drop‑offs and how many of those ultimately require emergency department care.

Operational challenges raised: Commissioners and staff pressed Connections on post‑discharge follow‑up. Several officials and providers noted frequent barriers: many patients lack phones or stable addresses, outpatient clinics often require walk‑ins after hours with no scheduling process, and workforce certification shortages complicate continuity. Connections said it is pursuing several fixes: strengthening warm‑handoff protocols, training staff on referral procedures, contacting insurers and PerformCare for some members, and convening weekly and monthly meetings with county partners to improve handoffs.

Placement and bed availability: Commissioners questioned how the center places people into inpatient care within the 23‑hour‑59‑minute window. Connections staff said they have been able to place patients with inpatient units by sending a clinical packet (nurse assessment, psych eval, psychosocial and social‑determinants information) and that inpatient partners are accepting patients without waiting on outside lab work when Connections’ clinical team deems them medically stable.

Funding and sustainability: Commissioners asked about sustainable funding. Connections said it launched with grant funding from the tri‑county/state initiative and is in active talks with third‑party payers; some payers have toured the facility and early conversations have been positive. Staff said a finance update can be provided to the counties with more detailed payer‑reimbursement status.

Next steps and reporting: Connections staff said they will continue presenting monthly and quarterly reports to county partners, finalize EMS training and pilot launch in July, validate diversion data before public release, and continue outreach to schools and law enforcement. Commissioners asked the provider to accelerate work on outpatient appointment scheduling and other warm‑handoff mechanisms because county and state dollars support the project.

Quotes in context: “We have a 100% acceptance rate,” Kimberly Jones said, adding staff sometimes keep patients past 23 hours and 59 minutes to complete placement into a higher level of care. McCarthy noted the center’s goal of least‑restrictive care and said staff are pursuing multiple local partnerships to speed follow‑up and placement.

Reports, documents and data referenced in the presentation are available from Connections and will be shared with county staff for further review; Connections staff asked that county and hospital partners continue to coordinate on referrals and funding discussions going forward.