Longview Campus near capacity for BHS

FORT COLLINS — Larimer County’s new Longview Campus has been at or near capacity for its acute care and observation beds since early January and a month after opening.

“This is likely related to the tremendous need in our communities, both in Colorado and nationally, for this level of care,” said Dr. Lesley Brooks, executive director and medical director of the Longview Campus and chief medical officer of SummitStone Health Partners. “We are in the midst of a national substance use and mental health crisis, and the expertise to address these concerns is critical in our communities.”

The Acute Care Facility at the Larimer County Longview Campus, 2260 W. Trilby Road in Fort Collins, is a 24/7, walk-in integrated behavioral health urgent care facility that offers care and treatment of mental health and/or substance use disorders. Larimer County contracts with SummitStone to provide the services and is owner of the facility.

In its first four months of operation, the Longview Campus treated about 2,000 clients in urgent care with 40% admitted for longer term care and 60% discharged back into the community with safety planning and connection to ongoing community services. The county’s first acute care behavioral health facility, Longview officially opened Dec. 2 to bridge gaps in acute care services and withdrawal management for Larimer County residents.

“From day one, we’ve seen a strong demand for our services, surpassing our initial expectations,” said Laura Walker, Larimer County Health & Human Services director. “Individuals seeking support have embraced our facility, reinforcing our mission to address acute behavioral health needs promptly and effectively.”

Larimer County statistics show that mental health-related emergency department visits steadily increased from 2020 to 2024, from 443 visits per 1,000 people in 2020 to 668 visits in 2024. 

Already seeing that need, voters approved a 2018 ballot initiative to designate funding for behavioral health services and the construction of the acute care facility, paying for it with a .25% sales and use tax. The result is a 61,000-square-foot facility costing $46.2 million and with the needed infrastructure for comprehensive, multiple levels of care under one roof. There are 10 exam rooms in urgent care, a capacity for 24 beds in the units and four beds/recliners in 23-hour observation, and an onsite pharmacy and laboratory.

“Our developers, including Page Architects, meticulously designed the Acute Care building with a focus on creating a unique, comprehensive care environment,” Walker said. “Extensive research into trauma-informed design guided the integration of services under one roof, setting a new standard for acute behavioral health care. Each team that touched this project, including Haselden Construction, felt the importance of the services and recognized the impact it would have on the community.”

The services include walk-in crisis, mobile crisis, 23-hour observation, crisis stabilization through a short-term inpatient program, and both medical and non-medical withdrawal management to stabilize and treat clients facing a crisis. The services are offered through a holistic model to address multiple aspects of patient care in one setting, supported by a staff of 170.

“So frequently in our communities, these services are located in different geographic locations,” Brooks said. “The place where you might receive evaluation is distant from the place that might have a withdrawal management or crisis bed. Further, the need for immediate medication and laboratory evaluation is another level of care not often located in our typical behavioral health crisis centers. The fact that these services are located under the same roof is crucial for us to equitably serve our community and meet its behavioral health needs.”

Clients coming in for immediate behavioral health support also have access to basic medical services and medical clearance, while also working toward stabilizing and treating their behavioral health conditions. Care starts with intake and assignment to a care team that coordinates the client’s care plan.

“This integrated model is breaking new ground by eliminating many of the barriers individuals often encounter when seeking behavioral health care,” Walker said. “By co-locating essential medical services alongside behavioral health treatment, we provide a seamless continuum of care that enhances accessibility, convenience and effectiveness.” 

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Longview plans to use its comprehensive care framework to develop a future Center of Excellence serving as a hub for training and continuing education for care providers. 

“By sharing our innovative practices and insights, we aim to inspire broader adoption of this progressive approach across the behavioral health care industry,” Brooks said. “Our commitment to integrated care combined with our vision for advancing excellence and education in behavioral health services positions us as pioneers in reshaping how care is delivered and experienced in our community.” 

Longview plans to add additional services, including some that may be tailored to youth and other specific populations, along with spaces for complementary therapies and treatment options, while keeping things financially sustainable.

“We anticipate that the demand for these services will continue,” Brooks said. “In collaboration with the County’s Behavioral Health Services leadership, we plan to use the remainder of 2024 to evaluate the need and demand for these levels of care as well as level of reimbursement, county sales tax funding, etc., to determine the next level of expansion.”

Larimer County and SummitStone are collaborating with community partners to continually assess evolving needs, soliciting community feedback and researching innovative approaches to keep their offerings responsive and effective.

“The Longview Campus’s future buildout is still in the planning stages. Our site selection prioritized avoiding land acquisition costs to allocate more resources toward designing, constructing and operating services,” Walker said. “Future discussions include expanding behavioral health services to address diverse community needs.”

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