PICTURED (left to right): Matthew J. Burden, Ph.D., President/CEO of Porter-Starke Services, J. Todd Van Buskirk, Director of Integrated Care at Porter-Starke Services, Mike Weaver, Vice President of Medical Services at Porter-Starke Services, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan (D IN-01), Sandy Carlson, Vice President of Clinical Services at Porter-Starke Services. (Photo provided by Porter-Starke Services)
In Valparaiso, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan visited with representatives from Porter-Starke Services, a not-for-profit Community Mental Health Center in Northwest Indiana, this past Friday to discuss the organization’s new Crisis Center on Cumberland Drive. A news release said the center offers short-term, up to 24 hours, observation and care and is designed to help reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and provide a place where law enforcement can go to get help for individuals in a mental health crisis.
“I am grateful for how the Porter Starke Services Crisis Center in Valparaiso builds upon our efforts in Northwest Indiana to invest in mental health services that address the needs of those impacted by substance use disorders. I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the Crisis Center and the Mobile Crisis Team, whose expertise is invaluable while responding to situations and working in partnership with local law enforcement professionals,” said Congressman Mrvan.
Crisis services are an important component of being a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), a federally supported treatment model of evidence-based best practices, which the State of Indiana’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) is actively pursuing, Porter-Starke Services said, adding that the CCBHC model will change the way services are reimbursed and enhance the comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services available in communities throughout the state, including broader access to 24/7/365 crisis care. Grant funding currently supports the Crisis Center, which is one of the first of its kind opened by a CMHC in Northwest Indiana and includes a total of eight rooms.
“Fundamentally, this service line is a more effective and appropriate way to care for people in a mental health crisis,” said Matthew J. Burden, Ph.D., President/CEO of Porter-Starke Services. “The Crisis Center can be the first step in helping someone receive the care they need.”
Through consistent federal and state support, Porter-Starke Services says it has been developing and implementing the CCBHC model since 2016, offering outpatient mental health services and substance use treatment for youth and adults, case management, and primary health screening and monitoring.
Porter-Starke Services says it also recently established a mobile crisis team that responds to mental health emergencies in the community. This team includes case managers and peer recovery specialists who travel to meet with people in crisis to assess the situation, offer support, and connect them with needed care and social services. “The Crisis Center serves adults, children, and adolescents. Coupled with our other emergency services and mobile crisis team, this will allow us to better serve our community,” said Melanie Johnsen, Director of Acute Intensive Services at Porter-Starke Services.
Porter-Starke Services is a community mental health center with offices in Valparaiso, Portage, Knox, and La Porte. Porter-Starke Services also operates Marram Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center with offices in Gary, Hebron, and Portage. The organization says it served over 18,500 individuals in 2023.
