Who we are
Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems offers a comprehensive crisis care system that provides consumers with a minimally intrusive set of interventions to assist with those who are experiencing a mental health or psychosocial crisis. The services support humanistic and recovery-oriented principles through instilling hope, social connection and a belief that all individuals experiencing crisis can readily regain control of their lives with the right supports and/or interventions.
Valley Creek Crisis Center, located in Exton, PA, offers a crisis program to assist children, adolescents and adults experiencing varying levels of crisis. All of Valley Creek’s services are consumer-driven, recovery-oriented and culturally competent. This is achieved through the utilization of psychiatric rehabilitation principles, the use of peer specialists throughout the crisis system and a strong emphasis on diversionary efforts to help maintain individuals in the community whenever possible. Valley Creek Crisis Center has culturally diverse staff, including individuals fluent in Spanish.
How We Can Help
Just as we call an ambulance in a medical emergency, there is help for resolving crisis situations. When events go beyond our control–whether for individuals, families, communities, or schools–we benefit from outside intervention. Trained professionals are available to assist with problems like mental illness, loss, school-based emergencies, substance abuse, family conflicts, and abuse. Crisis management exists to help explore solutions and implement positive change.
- Stabilize the immediate crisis and provide emergency mental status assessments/evaluations
- Facilitate voluntary or involuntary hospitalization when appropriate or identify alternatives when possible
- Function as a liaison to emergency response personnel (Police & EMS) and mental health facilities/providers
- Support the individual/family/school in developing means of coping with and preventing future crises
- Formulate a follow up plan that includes linkages to community based resources
- Provide brief follow-up and support to individual/family/school following the crisis
- Assist schools and communities in responding to critical incidents
- Provide information and referrals to individuals, families and schools
- Provide consultation services and professional training in crisis intervention to Chester County Mental Health professionals
Locations
Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems
Valley Creek Crisis Center
Exton, PA 19341
ph: Crisis Center (610) 280-3270
Crisis Residential Program: (610) 594-1665
toll free: Consumer-Run Warm Line: 1-866-846-2722
fax: Crisis Center (610) 594-1664
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Services
Telephone Crisis Counseling
24/7 Crisis Telephone Assistance (Telephone Crisis Counseling and Community-Based Mobile Dispatch) is available and accessed through Holcomb’s local Chester County Crisis Line 610-280-3270 or the national 988 hotline.
Most referrals to the crisis service come through the crisis telephone hotline. Calls into the line will be triaged by crisis staff to determine the appropriate level of crisis intervention required and provide telephone counseling when more intensive interventions are not required.
The telephone crisis service provides counseling, consultation, education and referral to individuals experiencing acute psychological or psychosocial problems or to the family, friends, colleagues, school staff and/or agencies calling on behalf of another person. Ideally crisis intervention at this level of care alone will preserve the individual’s ability to resolve his/her crisis, utilizing his/her family or natural supports while remaining within his/her own community.
The goal of the telephone crisis line is to ensure the personal safety of the caller and to promote overall recovery and wellness. While some crisis situations can be resolved solely through telephone support, many issues will require a formal face-to-face contact, whether mobile outreach or a walk-in intervention, to maximize the efficacy of the crisis intervention.
Consumer-Run Warm Line
Phone: (1-866-846-2722)
Valley Creek’s Consumer-Run Warm Line is Chester County’s first warm line dedicated to mental health consumers who want to receive peer support and may need resource information. An important goal of the warm line is to proactively support consumers before a crisis develops. The warm line is staffed by paid Certified Peer Specialists who are trained specifically to assist other consumers in furthering their recovery.
The warm line is open seven days a week:
Monday-Friday: 8:00am-10:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00am-10:00pm
Crisis Walk-In Center
The walk-in crisis service is seen as an important alternative to the telephone counseling or mobile outreach. Call 610-280-3270 for further information.
Walk-in hours:
Monday – Sunday – 7:00 am – 11:00 pm.
Location: 469 Creamery Way, Exton, PA 19341
Some individuals in crisis require the support of face-to-face interventions, but prefer to have the interventions removed from their home or community. Individuals in crisis may elect to arrive to the crisis center on their own or may decide to become a walk-in during a crisis phone intervention. Many people presenting as walk-ins are accompanied by family.
When an individual or family arrives at the crisis center, they will be greeted by crisis staff in the front lobby and then escorted to a private room for confidentiality and comfort. At that time the assessment and triage will be conducted, including family or friends to the extent desired by the individual in crisis.
As with all crisis services, the goal of this intervention is to provide solution-focused interventions that ameliorates the immediate problems, with linkage to aftercare supports. Crisis staff will work with the individual until sufficient resolution has been achieved and a solid aftercare plan has been developed.
Bridge Medication
Please call 610-280-3270 for further information.
Adult Crisis Residential Program
Valley Creek Crisis Center’s Adult Residential Program is short-term residential placement to accommodate adult consumers in need of behavioral health services that are less restrictive than an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. Treatment and psychosocial supports are available to individuals in acute psychiatric crisis but who are able to remain within the community. The crisis residential program is a voluntary program. The program provides consumer-driven, recovery-oriented treatment in a comfortable, home-like environment. The Crisis Residential Program supports consumers in developing and achieving individualized goals in order to resolve the acute crisis and achieve timely community reintegration.
Services offered at the residential program include:
- Nursing and Biopsychosocial Assessments
- Psychiatric Assessment & Medication Management
- Individual and Group Counseling
- Peer Support Groups
- Twelve Step Meetings
- Linkage to community-based supports
- Discharge Planning
- Recreational Activities & ADL support
Testimonials
“Thank you for providing a safe place to heal when I was hurting and feeling very upset and desperate. It definitely feels like you have given me the tools to succeed outside of Valley Creek, and it feels like a new beginning.”
“I will be forever grateful to the staff for giving me something I thought that I had lost…acceptance, trust and safety.”
“I really felt safe, and at home. Thanks for not giving up on me.”
“All the staff members have been amazing in helping me through my crisis.”
Client Rights
What are the rights of Valley Creek Crisis Clients?
- Each client has the right to be treated as an individual according to his/her individual needs.
- Each client has the right to expect that he/she will be treated by competent staff according to a professional code of ethics, that preserves the client’s personal privacy and dignity.
- Each client has the right to expect that all records concerning his/her treatment shall be kept confidential and only released with the written permission of the client, or as specifically dictated by law.
- Each client has the right to receive aftercare planning that is initiated early in his/her services.
- Each client has the right to be provided with information concerning his/her own diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis and to participate in decisions involving his/her treatment.
- Each client has the right to refuse treatment and/or medication. In this event, the client has the right to be informed of the medical consequences of this action.
In accordance with applicable federal and state law, regulatory requirements and/or agency policy, Holcomb will not deny any person equal access to its facilities or services on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin or disability. Neither will it deny any person equal access to its facilities or services on the basis of age or gender, except those programs that specialize in the treatment of a particular age group or gender.
If you have a grievance that has not been adequately addressed by program staff,
please call 610-363-1488 and ask for Quality Assurance
