ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — CAIR stands for crisis, assessment, intervention and referral. Adults and kids can get the mental health care they need in St. Augustine at the new CAIR Center at Flagler Hospital.
The CAIR center is officially opened on June 9 after three years in the making.
Their doctors say Florida is almost dead last when it comes to states with the best access to mental and behavioral health services. It's 49th, according to Mental Health America's ratings.
Flagler Health says people are waiting six to eight weeks to see someone.
Doctors at this center hope to help bridge that gap and give patients a better option than the ER. For Valerie Duquette, Director of Behavioral Health Services, she's seen the need for years.
She says mainly people go to the Emergency Room for mental health issues, but this center provides a better option for some.
"This environment is more of a calm space. It’s more quiet. We are multipurpose and it doesn’t have all these lights and bells and whistles and machines and all of that activity going on," Duquette said. "Where people can really take a moment, breathe, focus on what they are here for and what their needs are."
The color scheme is calming. The consult rooms look nothing like an emergency room hospital bed. There are couches and chairs instead.
The CAIR Center also works with Care Connect+ to help connect patients with other sources to help with food, housing, and prescriptions.
The CEO says the center is paid for through the state budget.
The center is located in Flagler Hospital.