Turning Point, St. Joseph County’s first and only walk-in urgent care clinic for child and adult behavioral health services, is now open.
Provided by Pivotal, Turning Point is located at 677 E. Main St. in Centreville. Its hours are 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday. Turning Point can be reached by calling 269-467-1900, or through TTY, the MI Relay Service at 711.
Turning Point is open to anyone experiencing a crisis related to mental health or intellectual/developmental disabilities, according to Pivotal. At the same time, officials say anyone experiencing a life-threatening situation or medical emergency should immediately call 911.
“In an emergency situation, you really should still be going to the ER,” Cameron Bullock, chief executive officer with Pivotal, said. “Look at behavioral health urgent care the way you would any other urgent care. If you had a stroke, you wouldn’t go to the urgent care, you’d go to the ER. If it’s a true emergency, if you’re actively homicidal or suicidal, you’re needing to go to the emergency room.”
Bullock said anyone who does arrive at Turning Point’s doors is going to receive triage aid and be directed to the right, appropriate, and necessary services. In a situation taking place after Turning Point’s opening hours, anyone should go to the emergency room.
“This is the first (clinic of its kind in) St. Joseph County. We don’t yet know what the exact need is, and we are going to re-evaluate after the first 3-4 months about the utilization and the time,” Bullock said.
Turning Point’s initial months will determine whether or not its hours will be extended. Bullock said the clinic is starting small to make sure it can correctly do what it needs to do.
“At this point and time, if it’s after hours, (anyone) would still utilize the ER like they’ve done before, or our 24-7 crisis line,” he said.
Resources at Turning Point are being offered without the wait or cost of emergency room care, according to a fact sheet. Payments are accepted through Medicaid and Medicare, private insurances, and a sliding fee scale.
“We take all insurances,” Bullock said. “Our primary population happens to be (on) Medicaid, but we, as a certified community behavioral health center, are able to serve everybody regardless of insurance, their ability to pay, or their severity.”
Individuals may only come to Turning Point on a voluntary basis. Adults admit themselves to the clinic. Individuals who are under the age of 18 or have intellectual disabilities that require direct support must have a parent, guardian, or authorized person with them to assist in determining their care and access needs.
“When you arrive at Turning Point, you’ll register and meet with a Pivotal staff member for triage assessment,” the fact sheet states. “We’ll address urgent concerns and determine your future treatment needs, which may include facility-based crisis care in our observation area, further assessment, a referral to outpatient services, detox services, follow-up appointments, the emergency room, or inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.”
The services offered at Turning Point are primarily done in-house, Bullock said. There is a group of providers who can do psychiatric evaluations.
“However, if they’re unavailable during that time, we have partnered with QLER Telepsychiatry to be able to provide those evaluations if our current providers are unavailable,” Bullock said.
Turning Point’s care team is available to help with:
- Excessive worrying or fear
- Extreme mood changes
- Delusions or hallucinations
- Misuse of substances
- Suicidal thoughts and self-harm
- Traumatic experiences
- Inability to cope daily
- Hyperactive and severe behavior
- Social isolation and withdrawals
Frank Stanko is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
