Renovated Papillion crisis center offers alternative to ER, 911 for mental health needs

PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — A newly renovated crisis center in Papillion is giving people experiencing mental health challenges another place to turn without immediately going to a hospital or calling 911.

Heartland Family Service’s Crisis Stabilization and Resource Center provides a space where people can talk with behavioral health professionals, receive short-term support and, when necessary, stay for up to 24 hours.

“I hope that people who are struggling give this place a chance,” said Jenny Stewart, director of the Crisis Stabilization and Resource Center.

The center serves people from Sarpy, Douglas, Cass, Washington and Dodge counties. Stewart said a crisis can take many forms, ranging from difficulties after a challenging day at work to domestic violence at home.

The residential portion of the facility has 12 beds. People can stay for up to 24 hours and can receive 90 days of case management at no cost.

Miles Glasgow, senior manager of system coordination for Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare, said that continued connection to services is one of the key differences between the center and a traditional hospital visit.

“So often when you go into a hospital, you're left with a packet of referrals to make, where you can go out to call these people,” Glasgow said. “With Heartland, you leave with someone that you've met.”

The facility also has an entry triage area with space for about 10 to 15 people.

Although the center serves residents across five counties, Stewart said capacity has not been an issue so far.

“As you can see in this space, we have 12 beds, and we used up about every spot in this space that we could to make sure we had enough bedrooms for people to come in,” Stewart said.

The program began at the Sarpy County location in 2024, and Stewart said the average visit lasts about 10 hours.

During that time, people can work with navigators to determine what kind of help they need.

“They work with the navigators on whatever skills they identify they want to work on, maybe talk with a therapist, get some resources and then typically they will go home,” Stewart said.

The center is staffed 24 hours a day by professionals with a range of behavioral health experience. That includes a registered nurse who can help provide access to prescriptions when needed.

For Stewart, the message to people struggling with their mental health is simple: help is available, and they don't have to wait until a crisis escalates to seek it.

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