CdA crisis center makes an impact

T he atmosphere in the North Idaho Crisis Center building couldn’t be a starker contrast to an emergency room. There’s no anxiety-inducing chaos of crying babies or ringing phones or stressed family members. Instead, it’s almost silent. If a patient — here they’re called “clients” — walked into the center last Friday morning, she’d find a refuge. She could sit on the soft green couch under a big painting of a dock and a serene blue lake. She could drink coffee. She could heat up bowls of Quaker Instant Oatmeal or ramen. She could finish up the log cabin jigsaw puzzle sitting on the table. She could take a shower or brush her teeth. She’d be able to get a diagnostic medical exam, and have someone to talk to about any mental health issues. And she could sleep /Daniel Walters, Pacific Northwest Inlander. More here.