Connections Health Solutions, Phoenix
For more than 15 years, Connections Health Solutions has built a network of crisis response centers and behavioral health services across the country, with the goal to provide immediate access to care, including walk-in urgent care, 23-hour crisis observation, extended crisis stabilization, and outpatient recovery services. Most recently, Connections expanded its network of crisis stabilization centers and redefined what these spaces should be, ensuring that each of its centers fosters healing, dignity, and recovery.
In 2024, the company opened three crisis response centers, including Connections Kirkland in Washington, Connections Chantilly in Virginia, and Connections Harrisburg in Pennsylvania, with several more planned in the next few years. These centers provide a full continuum of crisis stabilization services, ensuring rapid access to emergency psychiatric care for individuals in acute distress.
Unlike traditional emergency departments or psychiatric units, Connections’ centers prioritize non-institutional layouts, biophilic design, and natural light to support patient well-being and de-escalation. The company collaborates with architects, clinicians, and individuals with lived experience to outline these key features, helping to set a new precedent in crisis healthcare environments by ensuring that design actively contributes to recovery.
Specifically, the centers integrate open layouts with private, calm rooms to create an environment that prioritizes both safety and comfort. Thoughtful elements such as soft lighting, sound-absorbing materials, and dedicated quiet areas foster stabilization and reduce agitation. In 2024, more than 60 percent of individuals that Connections served were able to return to their communities to continue their recovery, avoiding the need for additional hospitalization.
Beyond its physical footprint, Connections has played a pivotal role in shaping the national conversation on crisis care design. The company’s expertise was instrumental in the development of the recently released Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration guidelines, which included the expanded classification of crisis centers to ensure that individuals in crisis have access to the appropriate level of care.
Connections supported the creation of a classification for high-intensity emergency stabilization centers, advocating for spaces designed to serve individuals with the most acute needs. By helping to formalize and standardize crisis care models at a national level, Connections is shifting how crisis stabilization is understood, funded, and designed.
The company’s insights into the intersection of policy and design have positioned it as a leader in the movement toward more effective, accessible, and patient-centered crisis centers. By engaging in national conversations, training sessions, and academic partnerships, the organization’s approach serves as a model for healthcare systems across the country, all while expanding access to much-needed services.
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