Jessica Greenwell:
Riverside County behavioral health specialists now have a new tool to serve community members suffering a mental health crisis.
Five specially-equipped vans will aid Behavioral Health Specialists with Riverside University Health System in providing emergency behavioral healthcare.
Currently Riverside County residents who connect to a call center go through triage screening where the nature and severity of the crisis is determined, and a 2-person mobile crisis response team, which may include a clinical therapist, substance use counselor, case manager or peer support specialist, is sent out.
The teams initial focus is on building rapport and creating a safe space. I spoke to Kristen Miller with crisis response, and this is where the vans come in.
Kristen Miller:
I feel like it'll help bring dignity to some of the community members who maybe are unhoused; they can come in and have a safe place where they can wash up and be in a comfortable environment where they can really sit down and talk to somebody. Before we had these vans, you know, we're looking for shade, we're looking for a comfortable place to sit and do a needs assessment, to see how we can be helpful. And now we have a much nicer environment to be able to do that with someone. And the goal is to try to keep them safe in the community with their loved ones, if possible. If for some reason that's not possible, then we do have other options where we can help someone get to a mental health urgent care, which is a voluntary program, or a higher level of care, like a designated facility or hospitalization. And we try to do that all with their cooperation and their willingness. As a very last resort, if we can't do that and we're really concerned for their safety, then we can initiate a process known as 5150 to get someone in the hospital to be safe. The mobile crisis response teams are really, in my mind, special in connecting with someone who maybe isn't asking for services, somebody else is asking for help on their behalf most of the time. I think we recognized back in 2014, that we had a number of community members who didn't know they needed help, and somebody else knew they needed help for them. And so, this was our way of being able to engage them into some services by bringing the service to them and really helping them not be in crisis.
I also spoke to Ryan Miller, Deputy Director of Forensics and Substance Abuse Prevention, and asked if the implementation of Care Court October 2nd would have a significant impact in the way services are provided.
Rhyan Miller:
For us, it's another style of a collaborative court. We've been running collaborative courts for years and years and years. Currently, we have 14 Different collaborative courts for everything from mental health court, adult drug court, juvenile drug court, family preservation court, and a bunch of other ones that really focus on that Superior Court partnership. So, this is another one obviously, with care court coming in.
It's pretty specific to a set of symptoms or diagnoses, if you will, but honestly, we already provide the other adjunct services, whether it's housing or treatment. This is just where we have to hire teams and working with our yields office in the state to ensure that we're responding to them. What we can see is a lot of families looking for a way to petition us or asking the superior court to be involved in care court. It'll just be another tool in the toolbox for us to make a difference in someone's life.
Jessica Greenwell:
The Mobile Crisis Response Team provides services across Riverside County; to residences, schools, group homes, events and homeless encampments, with the goals of reducing unnecessary psychiatric hospitalizations and law enforcement involvement, and connecting those in need to outpatient services. I’m Jessica Greenwell, KVCR News