Mental Health Triage Unit

The Casa Serena program provides alternative treatment to individuals suffering psychiatric emergencies.  Casa Serena offers comfort rooms to individuals promoting a calm environment. This therapeutic approach is accessible to clients experiencing emotional distress and is intended to assist individuals identify and de-escalate symptoms causing the distress.   Services provided by Casa Serena will promote tranquility, mindfulness, and the reinforcement of coping skills. Casa Serena comfort rooms are designed to be age appropriate, and will be accessible to children and adolescent from ages 0-14; Youth and Young Adults from ages 14-26; and adults from ages and older. The goal of Casa Serena is to create an empowering environment and provide clients with tools to eliminate the future need of a 5150 application and/or psychiatric hospitalization. Casa Serena is an additional resource available to clients suffering from mental health and/or substance use disorder and may require the space and time to regulate their emotions.  

202 N. 8th Street, 1st Floor
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-1533

Lanterman Petris Short Act (LPS) Conservatorship Unit

The LPS Conservatorship Administration Unit acts as the guardian (Conservator) of individuals found to be gravely disabled due to a mental disorder and/or alcoholism.  With the assistance of County Counsel, cases are taken to court for adjudication and periodic review.  Behavioral Health staff provides placement of individuals in Institutions for Mental Disease, State Hospital, Board and Care or Independent Placements. Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician services will be provided to each conservatee to monitor the care provided and ensure that the conservatee’s needs are being fully addressed.  Additionally, Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician services consist of collaboration with treatment staff and regular facility site visits. Behavioral Health staff provides coordination of the legal adjudication of the Conservatee, maintains eligibility status for benefits that he/ she is entitled to receive, and facilitates preparations needed for periodic court hearings. LPS Conservatees are cared for in a manner that provides the least restrictive care that is needed and rehabilitative goals designed to restore levels of functioning. It is the goal of the LPS Conservatorship Unit to assist for Imperial County Residents placed on LPS Conservatorship return to independent living and reintegration to the community.

801 Broadway
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7200

Imperial County Behavioral Health Services (ICBHS) recently established a memorandum of understanding with the Imperial County Office of the Public Defender to initiate and establish the Mental Health Diversion (MHD) Program within Imperial County. The MHD program serves as an opportunity for defendants charged with a crime to go through Mental Health Treatment. The MHD program lasts about a year to a year and a half, depending on the court rulings.  During the course of treatment, the defendant’s proceedings are frozen until the defendant completes the Mental Health program. ICBHS is mandated to give the court and the district attorney periodic reports on the clients’ progress or lack of progress. Based on these reports, the court determines if the proceedings are unfrozen and the charges continue, or if all records of the arrest that led to the charges are sealed and destroyed. Under the Diversion Program, individuals are linked with the corresponding outpatient clinics to initiate mental treatment that may include Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician Services, Therapy Services, and/or Medication support.

801 Broadway
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7200

Mental Health Services Act Transitional Engagement & Supportive Services (TESS) Program

The Mental Health Services Act Transitional Engagement and Supportive Services (TESS) program provides outreach and engagement activities to individuals who have recently experienced a personal crisis in their life requiring involuntary or voluntary mental health crisis intervention services. TESS creates a supportive services network that includes assisting the client in obtaining food, clothing, shelter, benefits assistance, assistance with public transportation, establishing contract with family, friends, significant others, and linkage to health care and other community resources. In addition, individuals who have recently been released from LPS Conservatorship receive supportive services to assist them in reintegrating back into the community, accessing mental health treatment, and securing a supportive environment.

1699 W. Main Street, Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7200

The Portland Identification and Early Referral – Full Service Partnership (PIER-FSP) was implemented as part of the Phase III of PIER Model. The PIER-FSP program provides Multifamily Groups (MFG) that provide the opportunity for families (client with parents, siblings, partners, and/or other social supports) to meet with clinical staff and other PIER families to learn more about the troubling symptoms.  These services and supports include a focus on recovery and resiliency, shared decision-making that is client-centered, and maintenance of an optimistic therapeutic perspective at all times.

1699 W. Main St., Suite A
El Centro, CA 92243
(442) 265-7901