If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis and need someone to talk with, our Access Centers are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to serve you. Highly skilled and experienced counselors are available day and night to screen individuals that come to us for help either on their own, from a hospital or other health care facility, or through law enforcement personnel.
Our Access Centers located in Lake and Citrus Counties provide a centralized system for referring agencies and individuals to easily access services provided by LifeStream’s continuum of care and to match the individual with the appropriate level of care. LifeStream’s Crisis Hotline serves as the first point of contact for many individuals. Emergency evaluators are trained to conduct mental health and substance abuse assessments, provide crisis intervention as necessary to address the individual’s needs and/or provide connecting services as deemed necessary.
Centralized Receiving System (CRS) – provides coordination, support, services and establishment of the referral and screening procedures process. The teams’ approach is geared towards mobilizing the individual’s available resources (based on assessed strengths) to overall functioning, remove barriers and ensure safety while assisting the person in moving toward a successful resolution of the presenting situation, acute crisis, or behavioral health needs.
The Community Response Teams help reduce the impact of mental health emergencies through immediate response to crisis situations at the street-level and through coordination and consultation with local public safety organizations, hospitals, and other community groups. Licensed clinicians, behavioral health technicians, and transporters deliver crisis intervention services at locations throughout the community (suicide, homicide, threats, drug abuse, and evaluation for psychiatric hospitalization). The team provides consultation to hospital emergency personnel, community agencies and citizens. Consultation is also provided to law enforcement and first responders regarding known or potential behavioral health cases.
Care Managers provide coordination that assists individuals who are not effectively connected with the services and supports they need to transition successfully from higher levels of care to effective community-based care. Care coordination connects services including behavioral health, primary care, peer and natural supports, housing, education, vocation and the justice system. This phase of services is time-limited, with a heavy concentration on educating and empowering the person served and provides a single point of contact until a person is adequately connected to the care that meets their needs.
Peer Specialists provide support and assistance to individuals who are struggling with behavioral health issues. Because of their own experiences with recovery, they are able to help the consumer establish goals for recovery and practice new skills, monitor progress, provide support and be an advocate in helping them find effective services.
