New Renown Behavioral Health Crisis Center Opens in Sparks to Provide Short-Term Stabilization and Care

February 19, 2025

Renown Health, in collaboration with the State of Nevada and Washoe County, proudly announces the opening of the Renown Crisis Care Center. Officially opening its doors to the community tomorrow, on Thursday, Feb. 20, this facility is a critical component of the Washoe Crisis Response System, which integrates crisis response services to ensure individuals have access to psychiatric support when they need it most.

The Renown Crisis Care Center provides a short term, 23-hour behavioral health crisis intervention in a specialized, therapeutic environment, offering faster access to care, targeted treatment, and a calmer setting- unlike emergency departments which are often not equipped for dedicated mental health support.

The Renown Crisis Care Center fulfills the crucial need for a "safe place to be," offering immediate care, 24/7 crisis intervention, assessment and stabilization services in a safe and supportive environment on the campus of the Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health (NNAMHS) Location at 480 Galletti Way in Sparks, NV.

"Our communities in Nevada are experiencing a severe mental health crisis, with many struggling to access timely psychiatric care," said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President & CEO of Renown Health. "The need for immediate, specialized behavioral health services is urgent. We are proud to partner with the State of Nevada and Washoe County to establish the Renown Crisis Care Center in Sparks, providing compassionate, timely care for our community. Together, we are expanding resources and access to strengthen our mental health infrastructure, ensuring no one in crisis is left without support."

He adds, “The Renown Crisis Center also provides first responders- law enforcement, emergency medical services personnel, firefighters, and crisis intervention teams, with a dedicated, specialized facility to bring individuals in mental health crises, 24 hours a day, ensuring they receive appropriate care while freeing up resources and emergency departments for other critical needs."

“Mental health crises require immediate, specialized care in the right environment- one that is calm, supportive, and equipped to provide the appropriate interventions,” said Takesha Cooper, MD, Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for Renown Health and University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. “The opening of the Renown Crisis Care Center ensures that individuals in crisis receive expert care from behavioral health professionals, rather than being placed in busy emergency departments or law enforcement settings that are not designed for these needs. Most people are stabilized within the first 23 hours. Individuals who require more extended stabilization may stay for an additional amount of time as determined appropriate by clinical staff. All patients receive support to transition back into the community with ongoing care if needed.”

Dr. Cooper adds, “Over time, the Renown Crisis Care Center will integrate our teaching mission by training UNR nursing, social work, residents and medical students, expanding the workforce and preparing the next generation of mental health professionals to deliver high-quality, evidence based and compassionate care.”

"This project is a shining example of what can be accomplished when not-for-profit public and private entities come together to address the critical health care needs of our community," said Steve Shell, MBA, vice president of Behavioral Health at Renown Health. "We are deeply grateful to the State of Nevada, Washoe County, Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, and our community partners for their collaboration and support in making the Renown Crisis Care Center a reality. Their dedication and commitment have been instrumental in bringing this much-needed resource to northern Nevada."

The Living Room Model Ensures Safe and Comfortable Place for Crisis De-escalation

The Renown Crisis Care Center helps ensure that a person experiencing a behavioral health crisis in our community who cannot be de-escalated through a phone call to 988 or interaction with a mobile crisis team has a safe and effective place to receive stabilizing short-term care in a comfortable, living-room-like setting. 

The Renown Crisis Care Center offers the following services to individuals 18 years of age or older who walk in, are referred by local community providers or are transported by law enforcement or other first responders:

• Comprehensive assessments performed by a multidisciplinary team, including Registered Nurses, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Family Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatrists.
• 23-hour crisis observation and stabilization to alleviate immediate distress.
  Connections to community resources, including inpatient psychiatric or detox beds, outpatient behavioral health care and primary care.

• Connections to community resources, including inpatient psychiatric or detox beds, outpatient behavioral health care and primary care.

• Support from Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialists.

• Care coordination to ensure a smooth transition to appropriate services.

• Transport to an emergency room for advanced medical care if needed. 

• Access to a Renown Patient Financial Assistance representative to support individuals who may qualify for financial assistance programs.

Renown’s Commitment to Community Well-Being

Renown Health’s commitment to community-based prevention has been pivotal to addressing need in a state that also posts high adult and youth suicide rates. Addressing these pressing community health needs, the Renown Community Health team convenes area non-profit organizations, state agencies, service providers, funders and concerned community members in the "Connect Washoe County" collaborative to share data, develop and fund interventions and measure improvements made in adult and youth behavioral health. 

“A person’s ability to live a fulfilling life often depends on their mental health,” says Kerry Kelly, MPH, Manager, Community Health. “The opening of the Renown Crisis Care Center directly aligns with our Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), a survey recently conducted with Northern Nevada Public Health and our community partners, to better understand the most pressing health care needs of our community. As the community’s only not-for-profit, academic health system, our Implementation Plan for the 2025-2027 CHNA focuses on improving access to healthcare services and mental health services. This has resulted in developing innovative programs like this one, which will have a significant impact on improving the health and well-being of individuals and families in our region. We thank our partners for leveraging their resources and expertise to create this vital service that strengthens our ability to meet the evolving health needs of northern Nevada.”

About Renown Health

Renown Health is the region’s largest locally governed, not-for-profit integrated academic healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,500 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination, and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network and the locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health.