Emergency psychiatric services
Patients experiencing a behavioral health emergency deserve expert care and compassion in San Diego.
Crisis stabilization unit at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center
When you or a loved one needs urgent behavioral health support, Sharp Chula Vista offers 24/7 emergency psychiatric services in San Diego. The Ruth Riedel and Bill Leigh EmPATH Unit functions as a dedicated walk‑in Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), providing compassionate, specialized care for individuals experiencing an acute psychiatric emergency. Help is available immediately — call 619‑502‑5800 with questions or walk in now.
Located within Sharp Chula Vista’s Emergency Department, the CSU provides hospital-based care for walk‑in patients who need urgent mental health care. Patients receive immediate assistance in a calm, secure environment, where specially trained physicians and staff work to ease symptoms, stabilize the crisis, and guide individuals to the most appropriate next level of care — with the goal of returning home or safely transitioning back into the community within 24 hours.
Conditions treated at the crisis stabilization unit
The CSU is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and serves adults 18 and older. A diagnosis is not required, but conditions that can be treated include, but are not limited to:
Anxiety disorders
Bipolar disorders
Depression and other mood disorders
Difficulty coping with sudden life events or mental health conditions
Hallucinations or paranoia
Substance use disorders
Thoughts of self-harm or feeling unsafe
Severe mood changes or agitation
Services we provide at the crisis stabilization unit
Crisis intervention and stabilization
Medication evaluation and management
Safety planning
Care coordination before discharge
Referrals for ongoing support
Translation services in more than 200 languages, including American Sign Language
Transportation assistance may be available
After discharge, our team contacts all patients within 72 hours for a wellness check.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a behavioral health emergency and needs immediate help, call 911. For non-emergency support, please call the Access and Crisis Line at 1-888-724-7240, or dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center’s Crisis Stabilization Unit is a contracted program partially funded by the County of San Diego.
How to get care for an urgent mental health crisis
Patients experiencing a behavioral health emergency may walk into the Emergency Department at Sharp Chula Vista. No appointment is required.
Sharp Chula Vista works in partnership with local law enforcement, first responders, Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams (PERT), Mobile Crisis Response Teams (MCRT), and local mental health providers to provide referrals for patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
To reach the Sharp Chula Vista Emergency Department, please call 619-502-5800.
Call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277) for more information or help finding a physician.
Sharp Chula Vista's Crisis Stabilization Unit is a therapeutic space designed to support patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
Frequently asked questions
A Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) provides immediate, short-term mental health care for people experiencing a psychiatric crisis, with the goal of stabilizing symptoms and connecting them to next-step care in under 24 hours.
The Sharp Chula Vista CSU serves adults age 18 and older experiencing an urgent mental health crisis, such as severe anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts or psychosis.
If the patient is able to drive or be driven by someone else, go to the Emergency Department at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center and check in at the main registration area.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. For additional crisis support, call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or the Access & Crisis Line at 1-888-724-7240.
No, the CSU accepts walk-ins and referrals from emergency departments, first responders or community providers.
The Crisis Stabilization Unit is located in Chula Vista, California, and serves patients across San Diego County, including the South Bay communities of Bonita, Chula Vista, Eastlake, National City and Otay Ranch.
Patients first register in the Emergency Department, where their vital signs are taken. They are then are admitted to the CSU, where they may receive:
A behavioral health assessment by a board-certified psychiatrist
Short-term therapeutic support, such as counseling, medication management and observation
Care coordination and planning to return home or transition safely back into the community
Stays in the unit are designed to last less than 24 hours and are focused on stabilization and connecting patients to ongoing care. Patients who need inpatient hospitalization may be transferred to other care facilities.
We accept almost all health plans, including Medi-Cal.
Notice to patients: Open payments database
For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public. You may search this federal database for payments made to physicians and teaching hospitals by visiting this website: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Read our Sharp Health News stories
Connecting patients in crisis with immediate care
Thanks to two seven-figure grants, Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center opened a crisis stabilization unit.
Crisis stabilization unit expands emergency psychiatric care
The Ruth Riedel and Bill Leigh EmPATH Unit at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center provides person-centered care for patients experiencing a psychiatric emergency.