Maricopa County is increasing the capacity of its behavioral health crisis system.

Over the past few months, new step-down and adult respite facilities have opened; the rest should be open within the next three months. Joel Conger, crisis services director for Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care, and Jamie Pothast, director of Utilization Management for Community Bridges - one of the groups involved in the expansion, spoke about the changes.

The expansion of Maricopa County’s behavioral health crisis system is projected to cost several million dollars.