The Crisis Stabilization Unit. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2026 Jul;35(3):523-539
Date
06/16/2026Pubmed ID
42297552DOI
10.1016/j.chc.2026.03.015Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105038455009 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
The Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) allows for diversion from law enforcement and emergency department (ED) services providing a more responsive crisis continuum of care. Important features include built design, peer support integration, interprofessional care with flexible length of stay, rapid access to holistic care, and minimal barriers to care. Care delivery entails initial biopsychosocial assessment, psychiatric treatment planning, brief, regular psychotherapy, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care practices, safety planning, peer support, disposition management, and care coordination. The CSU model improves psychiatric symptom burden, ED length of stay and recidivism, crisis care utilization and cost, as well as post-discharge follow-up.
Author List
Zaspel J, Andersen L, Berger D, Shobassy A, Malas NAuthor
Jennifer A. Zaspel MD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Crisis InterventionEmergency Services, Psychiatric
Humans
Mental Disorders
