Jackson House outlines 16-bed crisis residential treatment facility serving adults in Tulare County

Jackson House staff presented an overview of its crisis residential treatment (CRT) facility in Tulare and described services intended to stabilize adults with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders.

Martha Chacon, identified herself as the director and an administrator at Jackson House and described the Tulare facility as a 5,000-square-foot, 16-bed residential behavioral health program that provides 24-hour, short-term stabilization and step-down care after hospital or crisis contacts. "We provide 24/7 care," Chacon said, adding the program accepts Medi-Cal, private insurance and private pay and that many residents are unhoused or use Tulare County Medi-Cal services.

Chacon summarized clinical services offered on-site: individual and group therapy (CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, psychodynamic approaches), substance-use counseling and relapse prevention, medication management with in‑person psychiatry, crisis intervention and discharge planning that prioritizes rapid linkages to housing and outpatient mental-health follow-up within 48 hours.

Admission criteria and exclusions were described in detail. Chacon said eligible clients must be adults (18+), ambulatory and able to perform activities of daily living; exclusions include active wound care needs, incontinence, unremediated fall risk, current severe seizure disorder without medication adherence, aggressive/assaultive behavior, registered sex offenders, and individuals requiring skilled nursing or assisted‑living services. She said auditory hallucinations are assessed case by case; hallucinations involving commands that pose risk may require referral to a higher level of care.

Chacon described the intake process: referrals can be made by self, hospitals (Kaweah Delta Mental Health Hospital was listed as a regular referral partner), crisis teams or other agencies; a clinical phone screening is completed and acceptance decisions are typically made within an hour with same‑day admissions whenever possible. The facility provides transportation to the site when needed.

Chacon also said Jackson House coordinates with Tulare County substance-use disorder (SUD) services, and that every resident receives a housing referral and a follow-up mental-health/psychiatry appointment on discharge. The program emphasizes trauma‑informed care, life‑skills training and inclusive policies for transgender and gender‑diverse participants.

Meeting members asked clarifying questions about the facility's role in crisis care and eligibility; Chacon reiterated that Jackson House functions as a crisis stabilization step‑down, not a receiving hospital for involuntary holds (WIC 5150), and said individuals with active suicidal intent or homicidal risk should be handled through crisis channels before referral to the facility.

Chacon invited task force members to schedule tours and provided an admissions phone line for direct referrals.