The Phoenix Center: Short-Term Crisis Stabilization
The Phoenix Center is a voluntary, 8-bed residential program at the RiverValley Center in Owensboro for adults in a mental health crisis. It is an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization: intensive support, but in a setting closer to a home than a hospital.
It is the middle ground for a crisis that outpatient care can’t hold but that doesn’t require a hospital: a safe, structured place to stabilize, get immediate clinical care and plan what comes next.
Admission is voluntary; you choose to be there, and people tend to do better when they have. Clinical staff are on site 24/7.
Common reasons for admission are suicidal thoughts, severe depression or anxiety, psychotic symptoms, a substance use crisis, or any situation that makes staying at home unsafe. Referrals come through the crisis line, emergency departments and law enforcement, or you can contact admissions directly.
Services include psychiatric evaluation, medication management, individual and group counseling, crisis counseling, safety planning and discharge planning. The aim is to stabilize quickly and leave with a real plan for continued care.
Stays are short, usually a few days. Everyone leaves with an aftercare plan: follow-up appointments, outpatient referrals and a plan for the next crisis.
Call (270) 689-6879 or request an appointment online to start treatment. Walk-ins are welcome at our outpatient locations.
What to Expect
Admission starts with an assessment. During the stay you attend individual and group sessions, meet with a psychiatrist, and build a crisis plan and an aftercare plan with your team. It is less restrictive than a hospital, and you take part in the decisions about your treatment and discharge.
Other Crisis Support Services
Crisis Information Line
RiverValley’s 24/7 crisis line at (800) 433-7291, a certified 988 call center: free, confidential help, safety planning and referrals across Western Kentucky.
IDD Crisis Services
Crisis response for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, adapted to how they communicate, with behavior support planning and help for caregivers.
Mobile Crisis Team
A crisis team that comes to you, 24/7, across all seven counties: assessment, de-escalation, safety planning and follow-up.
