Tune in to WAMC Northeast Public Radio and listen to “New Kingston community health center offers ‘non-traditional’ therapy for people in crisis” to hear from our Ulster County Crisis Support Center Site Director, Tanisha Castellanos, LCSW!
“In the reception area of the Ulster County Center for Well Being’s Crisis Support Center, the lights are bright. The walls and upholstery are a mix of creamy white and pastel orange, and there’s art on the wall. It sort of feels like a hotel lobby. That, according to site director Tanisha Castellanos, is intentional. “We are like the bed and breakfast of mental health,” she says. “So we want every guest not to feel like a patient or client, or part of a system that’s been broken.”
That word – “guest” – is also intentional. Castellanos says People USA, a mental health organization that runs the crisis center on behalf of Ulster County, prides itself on helping people avoid the hospital.”
The Ulster County Crisis Support Center is a 24/7 community crisis response hub where people of all ages can connect immediately with an integrated team of counselors, peer specialists, and behavioral health professionals. Children or adults experiencing emotional distress, psychiatric symptoms, substance use challenges, or other life stressors can receive confidential onsite care and support for up to 24 hours.
