Program: Crisis Intervention
FY: 2013
Program Description:
Our Crisis Intervention Program offers services to assess and stabilize a person who is experiencing acute symptoms of mental illness, substance abuse, and emotional distress or in response to acts of domestic violence or abuse/neglect. Crisis services include telephone intervention and face-to-face assessment. These services are provided 7 days per week, 24 hours per day, and 365 days per year. Persons to be served may be self-referred, and/or referred by family or significant others, law enforcement, school systems, outpatient facilities, private facilities, or any other natural support or provider. Clinicians are available to meet the needs of the Green Country client, non-client, and/or the community. It is not uncommon for staff to work off-site because the service is responsive wherever help is required or requested.
The Mobile Crisis team is a component of Crisis Intervention designed to assist anyone under the age of 18 in crisis and his/her family. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the on-call crisis clinician is notified when a call has been made that requires intervention services. The clinician makes contact with the caller, offers telephone crisis intervention and/or travels to the location, depending upon the need of the child and family.
If the Mobile Crisis teamis dispatched, response time is within two hours. Staff travel to a safe location, with or without support services, (Police, DHS, OJA, School staff, etc.) and conduct an assessment. If the child is deemed in need of inpatient care, a referral is made and the child is linked to one of several facilities for services. If the child is in need of outpatient care only, a safety plan is developed and a referral is made to an outpatient service provider, such as GCBHS Children’s program, SOC, MCCOYS, Blue Sky, etc.
In those cases where an appointment date is not readily available, the mobile team can provide the family with interim services until the day of the appointment. The team is available every day, all year long. The teams may go out alone or in pairs depending on the circumstances of the situation.
Philosophy of the Program:
Our philosophy is to ensure the availability of quality comprehensive crisis intervention services within our community 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to any person in a behavioral health crisis situation in accordance with State Statute 43A. Inpatient hospitalization is only considered after all other community resources are explored with the individual and family (if applicable).
Staff criteria and specialized training required:
Staff providing Crisis Intervention services possess a Master’s Degree in a mental health related field and licensed in the State of Oklahoma. Such staff are trained in emergency procedures including, but not limited to crisis identification and intervention techniques, rapport building and positive engagement, assessing for lethality, involuntary hospitalization procedures, mandatory reporting requirements, appropriate community resources, CAPE training, and basic life support and first aid care. Evidence of training is documented in personnel records and in-service training logs.
Admission Criteria:
Anyone who notifies Green Country by phone or in person is eligible for this service. The Mobile Crisis team provides intervention to anyone under the age of 18 in need of crisis care.
Exclusionary Criteria:
Telephone intervention is provided to persons in need of care regardless of the person’s location. Face-to-face intervention is provided to anyone who is in Muskogeeor McIntoshCounty. Anyone located outside of our jurisdiction who is requesting a face-to-face service will be referred to the community mental health center in that county.
Program Modalities:
Crisis Intervention services are provided within the agency, at our Crisis Stabilization Unit as well as local hospitals, schools, and other locations that are deemed safe for all persons involved.
Access:
Crisis intervention services are accessible at all times, with licensed staff working on-site at our outpatient locations and Crisis Stabilization Unit, and/or on call as needed.