Fairfax–Falls Church CSB offers walk-in screening at the Sharon Bulova Center for mental-health and substance-use services. Plan around the assessment window, which closes earlier than the phone line. The visit may include screening, financial paperwork and a more detailed assessment before ongoing treatment is arranged. [1][2]
Use the walk-in window, not the phone closing time
The published walk-in screening hours at the Sharon Bulova Center are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Entry & Referral phone hours at 703-383-8500 are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The site is at 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax. Check exceptions before traveling, and call for wait-time information when possible. [1][2]
For example, being able to telephone the CSB at 4 p.m. does not mean the routine walk-in window remains open. Give your residence, age group and reason for the visit when asking which pathway applies. A walk-in screening is distinct from a guaranteed admission to a particular program. Use urgent services if the situation requires immediate clinical attention.
What happens between check-in and a treatment recommendation
The CSB describes check-in, registration information and a brief behavioral-health screener before staff review the concern. A clinician then discusses symptoms and history. If the person appears eligible for CSB services, a more detailed assessment may take up to 90 minutes. Afterward, staff explain the diagnosis, recommendations and next steps for services the person chooses to pursue. [2]
The 90-minute figure is not a promise about the whole visit. Waiting and paperwork occur before the assessment. When arranging transport or time away from work, ask about the expected visit window rather than reserving exactly an hour and a half. The county also asks people to call ahead for wait-time information when possible.
Ask about communication and access needs
The CSB page describes English and Spanish phone support and access to interpreters for other languages. Explain any communication or accessibility need when arranging the visit. Ask how it will be handled and whether anything needs to be arranged ahead of time, rather than assuming every support is immediately available for a walk-in. [1]
The county publishes a document list and a no-income option
The CSB fees page asks for identity and residence evidence, health-insurance cards, contact details for current clinicians and applicable guardianship information. For income, it identifies tax returns, recent pay stubs and relevant Social Security records among the documents used in financial intake. People with no income complete an attestation. [3]
Bring the evidence that matches your circumstances. If something is missing, ask registration what alternative is acceptable and whether it affects the visit or only the financial decision. Do not send documents to a general email address just because it appears on the county website. Use the submission method staff identifies for your registration.
A sliding fee and an insurance deductible are different questions
Fairfax CSB’s published financial-assistance policy distinguishes a basic ability-to-pay subsidy from supplemental help for documented hardship. The basic subsidy does not apply to copays, coinsurance, deductibles or other amounts assigned to the patient by the insurer. Additional hardship assistance requires approval from the provider or Revenue Management Team. [3]
If an insurance deductible is the obstacle, bring it to the hardship-assistance discussion. For help understanding charges for a specific service, the county publishes its Central Billing Office at 703-324-7026.
If screening leads to a community referral instead
The county says people who do not appear to meet CSB admission criteria receive other service-provider and community-resource information. It also invites them to call 703-383-8500 again if they cannot obtain help through those referrals. This provides a useful return route when an initial option does not work. [2]
Keep the referral and the obstacle together. For example: “The suggested practice cannot offer the service for my age group,” or “The provider says it cannot take my insurance.” That is more actionable than restarting with no record of what happened. A referral elsewhere is not an assessment of the person’s worthiness for help, and it should not be described as a confirmed appointment.
If the person lives outside the Fairfax–Falls Church area
Give the home jurisdiction when requesting services. A nearby Fairfax office is not proof that it is the correct publicly funded entry route. For DC, the Department of Behavioral Health publishes Access HelpLine at 888-793-4357. For another jurisdiction, ask its public behavioral-health agency or insurer. A private provider’s service area and the public system’s eligibility question may differ. [4]
Your planning record
Use this editorial worksheet to keep confirmed details separate from questions still awaiting an answer.
| Stage | Published information | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Routine walk-in | Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–3 p.m.; Fri 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Check current exceptions and allow travel time |
| Entry & Referral phone | 703-383-8500; Mon–Thu 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Fri 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Use for process and wait-time questions |
| Screening and registration | Personal information and initial questions precede fuller assessment | Bring relevant documents and identify interpreter needs |
| Further assessment if eligible | May take up to 90 minutes after initial steps | This is not the total visit duration |
| Financial intake | Income, residence and insurance information; no-income attestation available | Ask which subsidy or hardship process applies |
| Next care step | Recommendations or another community referral | Named receiving contact and unresolved barriers |
For the wider local picture, return to our Northern Virginia & DC care guide. For the shared preparation steps, read preparing for a first conversation about care.
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Sources and scope
Based on the published sources below, with original planning tools and clearly labeled illustrative calculations. Hours, services and prices can change; the receiving organization determines current availability, eligibility and personal costs.
No named clinician has reviewed this guide. It provides general information about care and service navigation, not an individual treatment recommendation. Source checks are editorial checks, not clinical review.
- Fairfax–Falls Church CSB: how to begin · Public-agency guidance · Checked .
- Fairfax CSB: screening and assessment explained · Public-agency guidance · Checked .
- Fairfax CSB: fees, documents and financial assistance · Public-agency guidance · Checked .
- DC Department of Behavioral Health: Access HelpLine · Public-agency guidance · Checked .
Worksheets are planning aids, not clinical assessments. Our source and correction standards.