The Centers Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) was established in February 2022 and provides accessible and convenient care in a safe, comfortable environment for children and adults. The BHUC welcomes patients who would benefit from urgent behavioral health services due to a serious emotional disturbance, significant change in mental health symptoms, or co-occurring behavioral health condition.
There are two BHUC locations in Cuyahoga County – University Circle and Gordon Square – both accessible by public transportation. Each multidisciplinary BHUC Care Team is comprised of a Psychiatric Provider, Registered Nurse, Licensed Social Worker / Licensed Counselor, Care Coordinator, and Client Service Representative. The BHUC Care Team works in partnership to address the unique needs, goals, and care preferences of each individual through the development of a Collaborative Care Plan to promote recovery and wellness.
The purpose of The Centers BHUC is to promote wellness and improve the quality of life in the Cleveland area. It provides an additional resource to complement the safety net within the community behavioral health system. The BHUC serves as an alternative to local emergency rooms as well as a navigation hub to community resources and ongoing behavioral health services. It is a one-of-a-kind service available in Cuyahoga County intended to engage and support individuals with urgent behavioral health needs.
BHUC services are available for children and adults on a walk-in basis or through in-person scheduled appointments. Virtual encounters are scheduled on a case-by-case basis. Individuals under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive care.
BHUC does not perform medical assessments, physical examinations, or diagnostic tests; however, referrals can be made to The Centers’ Primary Care services through our Care Coordinators. Services do not include evaluations or documentation needed for legal matters.
Children
Our care team helps children who experience:
- Changes in school performance
- Social isolation or withdrawal
- Excessive worry or anxiety, for instance fighting to avoid bed or school
- Hyperactive behavior
- Frequent nightmares
- Fighting or having a desire to harm others
- Severe mood swings
- Drastic changes in behavior or personality
- Severe, out-of-control behavior that can hurt oneself or others
- Extreme excitability for long periods of time
- Feelings of sadness for two or more weeks
- Extreme difficulty concentrating
- Traumatic experiences
- Constantly defying authority
- Self-harm or talk of hurting oneself
- Making excuses to miss school
- Frequent disobedience or aggression
- Frequent temper tantrums
Adolescents and Adults
Our care team helps adolescents and adults who experience:
- Excessive worrying or fear
- Feeling excessively sad or low
- Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
- Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
- Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
- Avoiding friends and social activities
- Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
- Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
- Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
- Changes in sex drive
- Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)
- Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)
- Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
- Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
- Thinking about suicide
- Traumatic experiences
- Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
- An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance