Philadelphia’s first behavioral health urgent care for adults provides immediate access to vital services, helping to reduce ED visits and inpatient stays and offering a positive experience even on the worst days.

// By Susan Dubuque //

Findings from a 2023 study reveal that 160 million Americans live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals. Patients can wait weeks and even months for an initial appointment — and a lot can happen in that time.

One city has devised a creative solution to this problem.

Philadelphia identified a critical gap in its continuum of mental health services and set out to fill it by establishing a walk-in mental health service. Already leading the rest of the country by having several mental health crisis response centers, the city sought a partner to offer this additional layer of care.

Merakey, a nonprofit organization that provides a broad range of mental health and human services for children and adults in 12 states, met and exceeded all the requirements for the new offering. The new Merakey Mental Health Walk-In Clinic, which opened on September 3, 2024, is designed for adults with urgent needs that could escalate without immediate intervention.

Nicole Connell, senior executive director of Adult Behavioral Health Services in southeastern Pennsylvania for Merakey

“We know we hit the mark and were meeting a genuine need when residents from the community were waiting outside the front door on opening day,” says Nicole Connell, senior executive director of Adult Behavioral Health Services in southeastern Pennsylvania for Merakey. “Eighteen individuals were seen that day, and interventions were provided to five in pre-crisis, successfully preventing the need for a visit to the crisis center or inpatient services,” she says. A staff of 21 associates operates the clinic seven days a week, accepting individuals from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Read on to learn more about this care model, which aims to improve access, elevate patient experience, and prevent crises.