New Urgent Care opening devoted to behavioral health

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - SSM Health is opening a new Urgent Care, with a focus being on behavioral health.

The new Urgent Care is connected to the SLU Hospital campus, and it is the second urgent care devoted to behavioral health.

"We are seeing for the last 10 years an increase in behavioral health problems in the population," said Dr. Erick Messias, Chair of Psychiatry at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital and Chief Medical Officer for behavioral health for SSM Health. "This can be attributed to homelessness, substance abuser disorder, the anxiety-related pandemic, or the increase in suicides."

Messias say SSM Health sees an increase need for behavioral health at a time when the current behavioral health system is not ready for that demand.

"When you are in a mental health crisis, it cannot wait," said Messias. "Sometimes those people end up going to the emergency room where they have to wait for mental health care or calling a clinic where they are told to wait six months down the road. That is not how mental health should be addressed."

Messias says the new facility will have a inpatient unit and will also focus on connecting patients with community partners for out-patient follow-up.