What to Expect at SAMHC


Who We Are:

Southern Arizona Mental Health Corporation (SAMHC) is a behavioral health agency licensed by the State of Arizona and accredited by the Joint Commission. SAMHC provides community-wide crisis services.

Most SAMHC clinical staff hold Master's degrees in social work, counseling, or related fields. When clinical staff determine that a person should be seen for medical or psychiatric reasons, SAMHC also has doctors and nurses available. When appropriate, SAMHC medical staff may refer you to your primary care physician or to a hospital Emergency Department.

What We Do:

SAMHC provides crisis evaluation, crisis stabilization, and referral services to people in Pima County. Our staff provide crisis intervention services to people who walk into our Tucson clinic. We also help people in the community with Mobile Acute Crisis (MAC) Team services.

Our Goal:

Our goal is to offer support to help a person deal more effectively with problems, find better ways of handling a crisis, and obtain referrals for community resources when longer-term services are needed. We take people's personal and cultural preferences into account in this process. People come to SAMHC for different reasons, but everyone can expect to be treated positively and respectfully.

Who Can Come to SAMHC:

Anyone can receive crisis services at SAMHC regardless of age, insurance status, or residence.

When We're Open.

We do not schedule appointments at this agency. SAMHC is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm, and people in crisis may walk in to SAMHC at any time.

How Long Will I Wait?

When you come to SAMHC, you will be asked to fill out forms to provide us with information we need. We will then meet with you as quickly as possible to discuss the reasons you came to SAMHC. The time you will have to wait for services will depend on the nature of your problem and how many other people are here. This might be less than half an hour to several hours.

To lessen your wait time, fill out the English Intake Packet or the Spanish Intake Packet beforehand.

Who Do I See?

You will see a member of our nursing staff, who checks to see if any health issues need to be addressed right away. You might see the nurse along with one of our clinicians or you might see the clinician after you see the nurse.

The amount of time you are at SAMHC for crisis services will depend on the problem you are experiencing, and what is needed to help resolve it. Many people do not see a doctor or nurse practitioner at SAMHC, but our clinical staff will help decide if you should see one of these professionals.

Do I Come Back to SAMHC for Treatment?

SAMHC does not provide continuing treatment services. Instead, we will help you develop a plan for meeting your needs by referring you to other treatment providers that will help meet these needs through private insurance coverage, AHCCCS, or low-cost medical services. Of course, we are always available to work with anyone in crisis.

How Much Does It Cost?

As a community-wide crisis services provider for Pima County, SAMHC does not charge any out of pocket costs to a person for providing crisis services.