County’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response Team relocated to the Emergency Services Center

GOSHEN — Orange County’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response team is now located on the 911 dispatcher floor at the County’s Emergency Services Center in Goshen.
The Department of Mental Health’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response team is a professional, clinician-staffed telephone support and outreach unit that is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-832-1200 to anyone in Orange County in need of emotional support or crisis intervention.
The Behavioral Health Crisis Response team had multiple hotline locations throughout the county. The Emergency Services Center provides a centralized response center for the unit and consolidates services.
“The County’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response team provides residents with an important service in what often is a vulnerable time in their life,” Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said. “Behavioral health is an important healthcare issue and these resources plays a pivotal role in providing access to services to the public when they might be in a time of crisis.”
Clinical telephonic responseThe County’s Department of Mental Health has contracted with the Mental Health Association of Orange County, Inc. to provide clinical telephonic response including the ability to screen for substance use disorders, complete New York State’s required LOCADTR tool to determine substance use disorder level of care, and schedule an appointment for individuals in need of substance use disorder treatment.
If a mobile response is warranted, the call takers will dispatch a mobile response provided by Access Supports for Living, Inc.
Expanded mobile responseThe mobile response was previously a mental health response, but will now be available to individuals in need of assistance across all three disability areas (Developmental Disability, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder).
The Mental Health Association will also have the capacity to dispatch certified peers, including three FTEs of peers through Independent Living, Inc., who are dedicated to this project, to assist individuals in connecting to, and navigating, the behavioral health system.
Independent Living and Access Supports for Living will report all outcomes to the Mental Health Association and the Mental Health Association will follow-up with all callers to determine if their needs were met, and if appropriate, ensure engagement in treatment services.
'Immediate access to screening, evaluation and treatment'“I want to thank County Executive Steve Neuhaus for his support of this very important collaborative effort,” said Darcie Miller, Orange County’s Commissioner of Mental Health and Social Services. “The generous support of Emergency Services Commissioner Brendan Casey and his staff have helped to build this opportunity for an expanded 24/7 call center that will be the pathway to immediate access to screening, evaluation and treatment on demand.”