A mobile crisis service will relaunch in Montgomery County in April, after a new company was chosen to run the program.
DeCoach was selected to run mobile crisis services by the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services at their Feb. 26 board meeting. The board was following a recommendation by ADAMHS staff.
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Under the new agreement, ADAMHS stated that mobile crisis teams will be dispatched to reach any person in Montgomery County in their home, workplace, or any other community-based location in a timely manner.
The team’s goal is to de-escalate any situation, support individuals in a mental health or substance use crisis, and alleviate demand from 911 dispatchers and law enforcement.
“We held several listening sessions last year to learn what our behavioral health providers, law enforcement, and community members wanted and expected from our mobile crisis response,” stated Helen Jones-Kelley, executive director of Montgomery County ADAMHS.
DeCoach and ADAMHS staff will spend the month of March speaking with community stakeholders and creating formal operating procedures in Montgomery County. Mobile crisis response will begin with a pilot phase of shorter hours and availability in April, with the goal of expanding to a 24-hour response.
People in Montgomery County can call 988 in case of suicidal ideation, or a mental health or substance use crisis. Staff at the 988 centers will dispatch the mobile crisis response team if they are unable to resolve the call over the phone.
Montgomery County previously had a crisis mental health care system with three tiers of care: a hotline, a mobile crisis unit, and a crisis center to provide up to 23 hours of stabilizing care.
However, the former contractor, RI International, ended its deal with ADAMHS. The board wasn't able to agree on a new contract with new vendors at the time, so the local service stopped, though the national 988 crisis line remained operational.
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