Need Help?

Call 802.229.0591

We're Here 24/7

DONATE
INTENSIVE CARE SERVICES

Need help?  We're here 24/7

Call 802.229.0591

INTENSIVE CARE SERVICES

The Frontline for Crisis Support and Stabilization.

With 24-hour emergency services, Intensive Care Services is on call to help with crisis and encourage stabilization.

Always available.

Intensive Care Services (ICS) provides 24-hour emergency services for individuals and families throughout the community. The primary goal is to reduce the immediate effects of crisis and help facilitate stabilization. ICS also provides urgent-care programming to help provide crisis stabilization, assessment of needs, brief treatment, and referrals to longer-term services.

Call Us

  • Emergency Screening Team

    Mental Health Crisis Services are available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week

    The Emergency Screening Team can be reached at (802) 229-0591.


    The Emergency Screening Team is mobile and available 24-hours, 7-days-a-week providing crisis intervention and assessment program covering all of Washington County and the towns of Orange, Williamstown and Washington in Orange County.


    Services Include:

    • Telephone support and consultation
    • On-site crisis intervention
    • Assessment for admission to crisis bed programs and psychiatric units statewide
    • Assessment for incapacitation by substances
    • Referral to brief and extended counseling, psychiatric, and support services

  • Brief Urgent Care

    Brief Urgent Care services are are short-term clinical services providing crisis stabilization, assessment of clinical needs, brief treatment, and referrals to longer-term services. Community-based service programs include:

    • Adult Access - A program providing services to individuals needing immediate, brief therapeutic case management and psychotherapy. Adult Access is an intensive community and office-based service focused on crisis stabilization and needs assessment. Referrals to longer-term services are made when needed.
    • Children’s Access - A program providing services to families in need of crisis stabilization, assessment, and brief treatment. Children’s Access is an intensive, home-based service with a goal of crisis stabilization. Referrals to longer-term services are made when needed.
    • Intensive Family Based Services (IFBS) - A brief treatment program designed to work in the home with children, adolescents, and family systems.  The program is funded by DCF, helping to keep families together.  IFBS provides a clinical assessment of needs, crisis and safety planning, brief treatment, and referrals to longer-term services are made, as indicated.
    • The Law Enforcement Mental Health Clinician Project - A collaborative between ICS and Montpelier and Barre City Police Departments. WCMHS employes a full-time clinician to work directly with Barre City and Montpelier Police Departments. Our clinician jointly responds to emergency calls with the police providing de-escalation and mental health supports during crisis situations.

  • Home Intervention Program

    Home Intervention (HI) is a short-term crisis stabilization/hospital diversion program providing supportive counseling to individuals who would otherwise require hospitalization. The program is a collaborative effort between the Intensive Care Services (ICS) and Community Support Program (CSP) divisions of WCMHS serving both WCMHS clients as well as the general public. HI provides integrated psychiatric, nursing and mental health services in a community-based setting. HI staff provide a high level of supportive counseling, assist with community integration, identify and mitigate stressors, and identify natural and community supports as the individuals served transition home.


    HI includes an embedded program called the Supported Alcohol Withdrawal Program that was designed with community partners to assist individuals safely and medically with withdrawal from alcohol. During this five-day program, individuals work closely with HI counselors to determine the next steps in their recovery and may include intensive outpatient or an intensive inpatient program that addresses. Individuals are referred to longer-term programs to promote their future success in maintaining sobriety.

  • The Lighthouse

    The Lighthouse is a peer-supported Public Inebriate Program (PIP) providing emergency, nonmedical, social detoxification as an alternative to local- and state-level incarceration for those in need of supervision due to alcohol incapacitation. This service is available 24-hours-a-day throughout the year, helping to conserve time, resources, and expenses for law enforcement and medical personnel.


    Sobriety Support Workers provide monitoring of vital signs and blood alcohol level within a safe, comfortable, and non-threatening environment. Once sobriety is regained, the individual is encouraged to engage in treatment for their substance abuse and mental health needs. With consent, follow-up services are provided over the course of six months.

  • Polaris (Adolescent & Family DBT)

    Polaris: Adolescent and Family DBT Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

    The Polaris program provides comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) at the IOP level of care for adolescents ages 13-19 and their families, whether residents of Washington county or not.  


    Comprehensive DBT treatment must include:

    • Individual DBT therapy
    • DBT skills training groups
    • DBT phone coaching 
    • Therapists participate on a DBT consultation team

    DBT can be helpful for teens who:

    • Experience intense emotions that can shift quickly
    • Have trouble tolerating and regulating emotions
    • Often make impulsive, emotionally-driven decisions for short-term relief
    • Have trouble asking for help effectively
    • Have difficulty maintaining healthy relationships
    • Struggle with depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking/behavior, non-suicidal self-injurious behavior, substance use, disordered eating, and/or chronic avoidance.
    • Are motivated to make positive life changes

    IOP can be helpful for individuals who:

    • Have tried a less intensive level of therapy and not seen improvement
    • Have demonstrated an escalation of behaviors that could lead to hospitalization or another higher level of care
    • Are stepping down from inpatient or residential treatment

    Program Details

    • Rolling admission
    • 6 weeks
    • 3-5 days/ week (start at 5 days/week and then drop to 3 days/week)
    • 2pm-5pm, Monday – Friday 
    • Polaris is a voluntary program
    • Caregiver participation is required.  The caregiver participating in program does not need to be the legal guardian.*

    Treatment at Polaris includes:

    • Individual (adolescent) therapy 
    • Family therapy
    • Adolescent DBT skills group
    • Multi-family DBT skills group (Tuesdays 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm)
    • Expressive therapy, activity, and supportive counseling groups
    • Psychiatric evaluation and medication management
    • Clinical evaluation and recommendations
    • DBT phone coaching

    Referrals can be made by the adolescent and/or guardian calling Polaris directly.


    Program Contact:

    Rebecca (Becky) White, MS, LCMHC

    Polaris Program Director

    34 Barre Street

    Montpelier, VT 05602

    Phone: 802.828.3983

    Fax: 802.223.0842

    [email protected]


    *If a teen is interested in treatment and does not have a caregiver who can safely and effectively engage in treatment, please call us to discuss potential options.

  • How to Access Help

    If this is an emergency please call (802) 229-0591.


    For Crisis Services:

    You can contact the Emergency Services Team by calling (802) 229-0591 or by visiting the office during normal business hours:

    286 Hospital Loop

    Building C, Physician’s Building

    Berlin, VT 05602


    For Intensive Care Services:

    For access to WCMHS services, you can also call (802) 229-0591 and ask to speak to one of our friendly Intake Coordinators. You will be asked what kind of services you are seeking and depending on your answer (children’s services, adult mental health services) you will be directed to the correct person. You may also be asked some routine questions and to schedule a brief interview to begin the process of accessing services. If you are not sure what services you are seeking, or what programs we offer, WCMHS will work with you to help you determine and access the services you may need.


    About Intensive Care Services:

    Intensive Care Services (ICS) is a combined service that provides 24-hour emergency services for individuals and families. The primary goal is to reduce the immediate distressing effects of crisis and encourage stabilization.

How to reach us

AND WHAT TO EXPECT

Getting the help needed, whether for you, your child, a family member or friend, is just a phone call away. We're here to help, 24/7/365.

  1. Call 802.229.0591
  2. Be Heard
  3. Be Understood
  4. Get Referred
  5. Intake
  1. Your call will be answered. Always.

    We're always here, ready to answer your call with compassion and understanding. We're listening.

  2. We're listening.

    When you call us and if in crisis, you'll be connected to a screener who will listen and help put you at ease. If your call is less urgent, we'll schedule you for an assessment and begin the intake process.

  3. We'll need to get some information.

    Conducting an assessment will help us better understand your needs so we can ensure you're connected with the services to best meet you where you're at.

  4. Get the support that meets your needs.

    Once we have an understanding of your needs, we'll provide a referral to appropriate level of care.

  5. Our wait times may be a bit longer...

    There's a lot of need within our community and wait times are longer than usual. But we have options that will help put you at ease until there are openings. We got you. Always.

HELP US

HELP OTHERS

Learn How →
Share by: