FHC Cumberland Hall in Chattanooga: Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Crisis Services
FHC Cumberland Hall is a psychiatric crisis stabilization facility operated by Frazier-Hardy Centers (FHC) and affiliated with Erlanger Health System, offering emergency mental health and behavioral health assessment and short-term stabilization for adults in acute psychiatric episodes.
What FHC Cumberland Hall actually is
Cumberland Hall serves as a crisis alternative to a traditional psychiatric emergency room. It is a smaller, specialized intake and observation unit designed to de-escalate acute psychiatric situations without the volume and atmosphere of a hospital ER. The facility admits patients experiencing suicidal ideation, acute anxiety, severe depression, psychosis, or manic episodes. Most admissions come through direct walk-in arrival, law enforcement diversion (as an alternative to jail for individuals in psychiatric crisis), or referral from primary care providers. The average length of stay is two to five days, with goals focused on stabilization and connection to outpatient follow-up care rather than long-term hospitalization. Cumberland Hall is licensed by Tennessee for acute care crisis services and is part of Erlanger's broader behavioral health network, which includes inpatient psychiatric units at Erlanger Hospital East for patients requiring longer care or higher medical acuity.
Services and admission process
Cumberland Hall's core service is crisis assessment, psychiatric evaluation, and short-term stabilization. Upon arrival, patients undergo a comprehensive psychiatric and medical screening, usually completed within two hours. Medication adjustment and psychiatric consultation happen during the stabilization window. The facility does not provide long-term inpatient care; patients are discharged with a discharge plan that includes outpatient psychiatry referrals, medication recommendations, and crisis contact information. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) coordination for opioid use disorder is available. Peer support specialists are on staff to build rapport with patients in crisis. Erlanger's psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses staff the unit; primary care and laboratory services are available on-site. Admission costs depend on insurance coverage; the facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance. Uninsured patients can request a financial assistance application through Erlanger's financial counseling office. No specific per-visit fee is published; billing is based on the length of stay and level of care, typically ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 for a short stabilization stay, though this varies widely by insurance network and coinsurance.
How Cumberland Hall compares to other Chattanooga crisis options
Cumberland Hall differs structurally from Erlanger Hospital East's psychiatric inpatient unit (which accepts longer stays and medically complex patients) and from emergency departments at Chattanooga area hospitals, where psychiatric patients may wait hours in busy ERs. The advantage of Cumberland Hall is speed and focus; patients avoid ER waiting rooms and receive dedicated psychiatric care immediately. However, if a patient requires intensive inpatient care, ongoing medical management of complex conditions, or longer observation beyond five days, they are transferred to Erlanger Hospital East's psychiatric unit or another inpatient facility. For outpatient crisis support, Telehealth Crisis Tennessee (a state-funded option) provides phone and video counseling 24/7 without an admission charge, but does not provide in-person assessment or medication management. Emergency rooms remain an option for psychiatric patients with active medical needs (suicidality with chest pain, for example), but they are not specialized for behavioral health triage. Cumberland Hall's model sits between phone crisis lines and full psychiatric hospitalization, filling the gap for someone who needs immediate, hands-on psychiatric evaluation but not necessarily an overnight hospital bed.
Who it suits and who it should not go to
Cumberland Hall is the right choice for adults in acute psychiatric distress who can be safely stabilized in a short window (two to five days) and do not require intensive medical care or extensive security precautions. It suits people experiencing their first psychiatric episode, those with known mental illness in acute relapse, and individuals in suicidal or homicidal crisis. It also fits law enforcement diversion situations, where officers bring a person in behavioral crisis to the facility instead of booking them into jail. It is not appropriate for patients requiring medical intensive care, those with active withdrawal syndromes needing detoxification (though opioid MAT can be started), pediatric patients (Cumberland Hall serves adults only; pediatric crisis care is available at Erlanger Hospital East), or individuals requiring restraint or seclusion for safety (though the facility is equipped with safe rooms for de-escalation, it is not a locked forensic unit). Those with complex medical illnesses alongside psychiatric crisis should go to an emergency department first.
First visit and logistics
Walk-ins can arrive at Cumberland Hall directly; there is no appointment needed or possible. The facility is open 24/7. On arrival, patients check in at the front desk and are roomed for psychiatric screening within 15 minutes. Vital signs are taken, a brief medical history is gathered, and a psychiatric nurse or psychiatrist meets with the patient to assess safety and symptom severity. If the person is brought by law enforcement, police will brief staff on the crisis presentation. Family or emergency contacts can be present during intake if the patient consents. The initial assessment takes 60 to 120 minutes. If the patient is stable enough for observation and short-term care at Cumberland Hall, they are admitted to a room on the unit. If they require a higher level of care, they are transferred to Erlanger Hospital East or another facility. Patients can be discharged as soon as they are deemed medically and psychiatrically safe, typically within two to five days. Discharge planning includes a written prescription list, a list of recommended outpatient mental health providers, and a crisis line card.
Parking is available in Erlanger's main parking garage adjacent to Cumberland Hall; the first hour is free, and subsequent hours cost $2 each, with daily maximums of $8. Cumberland Hall's address is 975 East Third Street, and it is located on Erlanger's downtown campus. Public transit (CARTA bus routes 1, 3, and 7) serve the Erlanger campus; the downtown transit station is four blocks away.
For emergencies, call 911. For crisis support without admission, Telehealth Crisis Tennessee operates 24/7 at 1-855-274-7471.
Cumberland Hall fills a critical gap in Chattanooga's behavioral health system, allowing rapid psychiatric assessment without the delays of a general emergency room. It is most useful for acute, non-medical psychiatric crises requiring hands-on stabilization and discharge planning.
