Acute Psychiatric Services
(612) 873-3161

HCMC's Acute Psychiatric Services center serves those in emotional crisis with 24-hour, seven-day-a-week crisis counseling, assessment, and referral. More than 42,000 calls and drop-in visits each year are handled by the Acute Psychiatric Services staff of psychiatrists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses. The APS is supported by Hennepin County funds and state grants, provides these services to any person in need. It is the first and only hospital-based crisis intervention center in the U.S. certified by the American Association of Suicidology.

Acute Psychiatric Services offers:

• 24-hour walk-in crisis intervention and treatment of behavioral emergencies
  
  
• Suicide Hotline (612) 873-2222, giving suicidal callers hope through crisis counseling
  
  
• Crisis intervention phone service for assessment, information, and referral for psychiatric emergencies. (612) 873-3161
  
  
• Treatment of psychiatric emergencies such as acute psychotic conditions, panic states, severe and incapacitating depression, suicidal crisis, danger to others, sudden loss of memory, and situations involving grave mental disability.
  
  
• Community consultation and education on crisis intervention.

Goals

• To provide immediate and around-the clock assistance to emotionally disturbed persons.
• To prevent development of more serious psychiatric disorders by early identification of, and intervention in,potentially hazardous emotional crisis.
• To offer alternatives to institutionalization and involuntary commitment by providing less costly and less disruptive treatment or, when necessary, voluntary hospitalizations.
• To provide services which are immediate, accessible, and acceptable. The Acute Psychiatric Services center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with phone and outreach services.

Treatment Team
Psychiatrists, clinical nurse specialists, psychiatric social workers, and psychiatric nurses.