Intensive Residential Team
(IRT)

On January 7, 2020, Community Integrated Health Services (CIHS) was awarded a grant from the Health Care Authority (HCA) as a governor’s mandate for an Intensive Residential Team (IRT) servicing our 5 county region. This team will provide a variety of support services for people with severe mental health and substance use needs who have a history of multiple visits to emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, and/or contacts with law enforcement related to their behavioral health challenges.  

The IRT teams will focus on individuals discharging from inpatient mental health facilities (Western State Hospital and Evaluation and Treatment Centers) and offer increased ability to manage and monitor medication and provide more intensive in-home support.

• Behavioral health assessment, treatment, and care coordination
• Medication management
• Skill building for self-care
• Exploring employment opportunities
• Assistance with identifying benefits and other funding/financial resources
• Collaborating with the entire treatment team to better manage care for transition.

Team members are experienced in psychiatry, social work, nursing, substance abuse, and vocational. The team is medically driven to help stabilize and return individuals back to the community where they reside.

The team consists of:

• psychiatric prescriber
• psychiatric registered nurse practitioner
• mental health practitioner
• certified peer counselor