The organizing vision was that psychiatric services must be available on a 24-hour/7 day per week basis to all in need irrespective of ability to pay. This included the ready availability of psychiatric evaluations for any individual that law enforcement personnel feel may have a potential health problem. These two elements, which have been nationally recognized and replicated elsewhere many times over the years, continue to characterize MCES.

The Montgomery County Commissioners allocated the seed money that helped bring about MCES. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has provided our facility. In 1974, a 20-bed inpatient program and related crisis services were initiated in Building 16 on the campus of the Norristown State Hospital. In 1988, we relocated to our present quarters, Building 50, where the bed complement expanded over the years to 63, and the present program complement grew to its current scope and capabilities.