Imperial County

Casa Serena - in an Effort to Address the Need to Provide an Alternative to Involuntary Holds, Seclusion and Restraints for Patients Experiencing a Psychiatric Emergency, Icbhs Proposes the Establishment of Casa Serena. Casa Serena Will Be a Specialized Center That Will Offer Multi-sensory Comfort Rooms to Serve as a Preventative And/or Transitional Resource for Individuals Experiencing a Behavioral or Emotional Crisis. Populations to Be Served at Casa Serena Include Children, Adolescents and Adults Who Have a Mental Health And/or Substance Use Disorder. Separate Comfort Rooms With Trained Staff, Including Peer Supporters, Will Provide a Voluntary Sanctuary From Stress for Children and Adolescents (ages 0-14), Youth and Young Adults (ages 14-26), and Adults (26 and Older). the Comfort Rooms Will Allow for Clients to Experience and Regulate Emotions Within Acceptable Boundaries in a Therapeutic and Safe Environment. Casa Serena Will Be a Resource for Individuals During Difficult Times Where They Will Use Techniques to Self-regulate Symptoms Emotions. the Therapeutic Setting Will Be Used to Transition Individuals to a Lower Level of Care After Having Experienced a Crisis and No Longer Meeting Criteria for an Involuntary Hold. This Therapeutic Setting Will Also Be Accessible to Clients That Are Experiencing Emotional Dysregulation and Identify the Need to Prevent the Escalation of Symptoms. During the Two-year Project Period, It Is Projected Casa Serena Will Serve One-thousand Unduplicated Individuals, Five-hundred Unduplicated Individuals Served Each Year. an Assessment Will Be Conducted by a Clinician to Provide a Diagnosis and Linkage to Continued Mental Health Services or Other Services as Deemed Necessary. Peer Supporters/community Service Workers, Mental Health Workers, and Mental Health Rehabilitation Technicians Will Utilize Motivational Interviewing Techniques to Establish Collaborative, Person-centered, Goal-oriented Communication Approach, With Particular Attention to Behavior Change. the Comfort Rooms Will Provide a Supportive Therapeutic Environment Where Individuals Can Use Self-help Techniques to Manage Their Behavior and Emotional State; the Goal Being Mitigation of Crisis Episodes. Comfort Rooms Will Offer Multi-sensory Specialized Equipment to Facilitate De-escalation of Behavior and Symptoms Through Self-soothing. the Goals of Casa Serena Include the Following: Goal #1: to Reduce the Percentage of Individuals Requiring a 5150 Application After a Pre-screening Assessment Is Completed by the Mhtu or the Crisis Co-response Team (CCRT). Goal #2: to Provide Community and Partner Agencies Outreach, Engagement, and Education on Services Provided at Casa Serena. Goal #3: to Promote Clients’ Initiative to Access and Utilize Services at Casa Serena. Goal #4: to Decrease the Number of Clients Transferred From the Mhtu to an Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital Due to a Psychiatric Condition.