Making a Call

If you live in Allegheny County and find yourself in a mental health crisis, the resolve Crisis Services team is ready to help.

The crisis may involve someone who is suicidal or in the middle of a panic attack. It could be someone who lost their job or is experiencing deep grief.

resolve is a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year crisis service that is free to all Allegheny County residents. Services are offered by phone at 1-888-796-8226 and onsite at 333 N. Braddock Ave., in Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhood.

It is a partnership between Allegheny County and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. “We serve everyone in Allegheny County, and we work with every program and every mental health service in the county,” says Michael Edelstein, MA, LPC, manager of behavior health for resolve Crisis Services.

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How to Get Help When Facing a Crisis

Whether you call or come in person, trained specialists are available to help and may recommend a higher level of care. For example, a caller may be offered the option of having a Mobile Crisis Team meet with them in the community or may be encouraged to come to the walk-in center for support. The center also can accommodate overnight stays of up to 10 days.

“We have a total of 14 beds — 10 for adults and four for adolescents 14 and older,” says Mr. Edelstein. The center offers a safe space to stay for those who feel unstable, but do not need the level of care a hospital provides. “We are not long-term rehab or a psychiatric hospital.”

Overnight stays are voluntary; you are free to leave during the day and come back at night to a safe environment.

Center residents meet at least once a day with resolve clinicians and or service coordinators, who connect them with other mental health or social service resources. Before residents leave the center, coordinators will schedule a follow-up appointment with an appropriate clinician or social services agency within seven days.

Helping People Avoid Hospitalization

The resolve team works closely with the psychiatric emergency services team at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. If someone comes into the hospital, doctors do an assessment and may send that person to the center’s residential program rather than admit that person to the hospital. “One goal is to keep people from being hospitalized if possible,” says Mr. Edelstein.

A hospital stay can set off a chain reaction, says Mr. Edelstein. Being in the hospital means a person can’t work, which means a possible job loss. Without a job, a person can’t pay rent and life can become far more unstable.

Resources to Help Get Through Any Crisis

Coordinators at resolve have developed relationships with agencies and other organizations in the Allegheny County that offer services such as housing support, food banks, job training, childcare resources, drug and alcohol recovery, and therapy.

“We help people fill out forms and make calls. Or we can make the calls on their behalf,” says Rebekka Carpetta, service coordinator at resolve.

The resolve team gets calls from concerned family members who want help for a loved one or a child. While children under age 14 can’t stay in the residential program, resolve can help kids and families in other ways. For example, they can go directly to a school if a child is having a crisis.

Every month, resolve receives about 5,700 calls and makes 830 mobile crisis dispatches. And 560 people come to the walk-in center.

All Crisis Services Are Free for Allegheny County Residents

At resolve Crisis Services. all services are free to Allegheny County residents (including a residential stay at the center). If you or someone you love is in crisis, call resolve Crisis Services day or night at 1-888-796-8226.

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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .

About UPMC Western Behavioral Health

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is the hub of UPMC Behavioral Health, a network of community-based programs providing specialized mental health and addiction care for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Our mission is to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to people of all ages with mental health conditions. UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is a nationally recognized leader in mental health clinical care, research, and education. It is one of the nation’s foremost university-based psychiatric care facilities through its integration with the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. We are here to help at every stage of your care and recovery.