KINGSTON Ulster County officials unveiled
a new Mobile Mental Health Crisis Unit.
A total of $975,000 was provided by the state Health Department to establish
the service.
County Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith and County Executive Michael
Hein announced the new unit on Tuesday.
“It took a fair amount of work to make sure we have this team,”
Smith said. “Over the years the state has cut our funding for mental
health services by about 50 percent, and as a result we developed a gap
in the system, connecting the community with immediate mental health service
care.”
Smith said having someone to talk to on the phone and help sort things
out, come to their home, school or workplace, see that person in crisis
emotionally and psychologically and make a professional determination
may be the best course of action for the individual, Smith said.
“Hopefully, the team will be able to de-escalate the situation,
so that the individual can remain in their place, in their home, in their
school safely and then connect that individual to ongoing care services
in the community in the days that follow. There may be times when that
individual may have to go to the emergency room or hospital,” she
said.
The number to call is 844-277-4820; however, 911 and other first responders
will also have the capability to connect to the same services. Trained
teams will be provided to the county by Access Supports for Living, Inc.,
a private organization based in Middletown, NY. The program will be available
between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the Kingston, Saugerties, Woodstock and
New Paltz areas, until going county-wide later this year.
Estimated ongoing annual costs are about $400,000 per year, which will
come from state aid. Similar crisis intervention services are currently
available in Albany, Orange and Dutchess counties.
