24 Hour Crisis Response

FMRS has a team of Crisis Response Specialists ready to help when someone in our area is experiencing an emotional crisis, no matter the day or time.   These clinicians are trained to assess potential crisis situations and intervene as appropriate. This may include facilitating any number of the following: admission to the FMRS Crisis Stabilization Unit, hospitalization (voluntary or involuntary), arranging follow-up assessment/services and/or providing direct assessment in the Hospital Emergency Room or Magistrate’s Office.

To access the emergency services department of FMRS, simply call 304-256-7100 or 1-888-523-6437. Prompt, courteous attention is available twenty-four hours a day.

Involuntary Commitment 

The involuntary hospitalization process in West Virginia is county-specific, so when a situation arises in any of the four counties that FMRS serves requiring this process, it is the local FMRS office that should be contacted. FMRS staff will meet with the potential applicant and discuss the situation to determine the most appropriate intervention. If it is determined that involuntary hospitalization is potentially necessary, FMRS staff will assist the applicant in the process, beginning with the completion of an application for involuntary hospitalization.  

In the application it is necessary for the applicant to indicate why he or she believes the person in question (the respondent) is mentally ill or addicted and why they are a danger to themselves or someone else as a consequence of their mental illness or addiction. Once the application has been completed and notarized, it then must be filed at the Circuit Clerk’s Office of the respective county courthouse. 

The application triggers the scheduling of a civil commitment hearing, at which the respondent is provided due process. The applicant must be present. The respondent is present also and is represented by an attorney. FMRS supplies a certified examiner who conducts a mental exam of the respondent and makes a treatment recommendation. A Mental Hygiene Commissioner listens to all testimony and decides if commitment to a hospital (always the treatment option of last resort) is appropriate.

If the respondent is involuntarily hospitalized, the length of the hospitalization depends upon how quickly they respond to treatment. The period of hospitalization is usually relatively brief, approximately 7 to 10 days, long enough to stabilize their mental status and render them safe to return to their community. While the commitment order ends with the hospital discharge, the respondent’s name is forwarded to the FBI and their gun rights are forfeited.

Children's Mobile Crisis Response

Crisis Intervention

At times, individuals may experience a crisis related to acute psychological signs and symptoms and/or substance use. FMRS staff at each location are trained in crisis intervention to help de-escalate these episodes and arrange appropriate follow-up care.

Crisis Stabilization Unit

The Crisis Stabilization Program is a comprehensive array of services designed to stabilize the conditions of acute or severe psychiatric symptoms. The Crisis Stabilization Program also offers opioid, alcohol and benzodiazepine detoxification. The Crisis Stabilization Program provides daily evaluation by a Psychiatrist or Physician Assistant, intensive group and individual therapy, supportive group and individual counseling, as well as linkage and referrals for aftercare when appropriate. This service is intended for persons whose condition can be stabilized with short-term intensive services. The average length of stay is 5-7 days for psychiatric symptoms and 6 days for detoxification admissions. The goal of our Crisis Stabilization Program is to stabilize the crisis situation as quickly as possible while maintaining an informal, comfortable, home-like environment with qualified professional staff and prevent unnecessary inpatient hospitalizations.

Admission Criteria

• Must be 18 years of age or older.

• Must have a diagnosis of mental illness or substance abuse.

• Must be physically able to perform activities of daily living.

• If substance abuse only, you must be accepted for the purpose of detoxification.

• Pregnant women will not be admitted for detoxification.

• Must be experiencing a deterioration in psychiatric condition, which may, if not addressed, result in severe exacerbation of symptoms, leading to potential hospitalization or loss of community placement.

• Must have the ability to obtain medications required for treatment and must have current prescriptions or refills for all non-psychotropic medications and resources to purchase them.

• Must be willing to contract for safety if in the Crisis Unit if experiencing suicidal ideations.

• Must agree to a personal belongings inventory and person search upon admission to the program.

• Must be free of active communicable disease such as conjunctivitis, tuberculosis, influenza, lice, etc. If an active communicable disease is identified after admission, the consumer shall be discharged with a referral for appropriate treatment.

• Must be free of any open wounds in need of wound care.

• Any client with an identified medical condition, such as diabetes or hypertension, and is undergoing treatment, must provide the name of their medical provider and sign a release for our agency to communicate with their provider.

• Must submit to a urine drug screen if requested.

• Must have a blood alcohol level below 0.08.

The Crisis Stabilization Program accepts referrals from other FMRS Programs, as well as hospitals and private practitioners. Individuals are not normally accepted as self-referrals without being assessed first by a behavioral health provider. Individuals in need of crisis services, during normal working hours should present for assessment at one of the FMRS offices and not call the Crisis Stabilization Unit directly. You may submit an Online Referral for consideration.