Health Insights

Outside Our Walls: Taking Mental Health Care into the Community

That moment when hope is disappearing, and a person doesn’t see anywhere to turn. That’s the moment when mental health intervention is a matter of life and death.

They need someone to show up for them now—and that’s when the UC Health Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) moves into action, serving individuals throughout Hamilton County. At UC Health, we’re changing the way mental health care is delivered and improving outcomes for people in Hamilton County and beyond:

• Our MCT meets people where they’re at—in their home, in their school, on the side of the road. We’re removing barriers and bringing expert mental health care at the moment people need it most.
• Our approach combines master’s level clinicians and peer support specialists, providing a wrap-around approach that addresses the immediate need and helps connect people to resources and support for long-term success.

“With emergent needs, it’s important to have individuals who are qualified mental health professionals go out into the community to help these individuals where they are. Crises don’t happen between 9 and 5, so our team is here to help 24/7,” says Katie Cannon, manager of the UC Health MCT.

If you or someone you know needs help, there are multiple ways to reach our MCT. Call 911 or 513-584-5098. 

Please note that the UC Health Mobile Crisis Team's direct line (513-584-5098) is specifically for response in Hamilton County. If outside this area call 911.

The Mental Health Crisis

The statistics are staggering. In a room of five adults, at least one is experiencing a mental illness. Even more concerning, suicide is the second leading cause of death among ages 10-14, the third leading cause of death among those ages 15-24, and the 12^th leading cause of death in the U.S. overall.

As the number of Americans with diagnosed mental health conditions continues to rise, those receiving treatment isn’t keeping pace. According to a survey by NORC, 57% of people who tried to find care for either a mental health or substance use issue were unable to find access.

In addition to challenges accessing care, there continues to be a stigma around seeking mental health services or even talking about mental health.   

When people are unable or unwilling to seek care for mental health and substance use issues, they face hospitalization, jail, or even worse, death. At UC Health, our MCT provides an avenue to help people when they are in the middle of a mental health crisis; one that has a goal of keeping people safe and getting them the care they need to address their mental health concerns.  

Mobilizing a Response to Mental Health Crises

The UC Health Mobile Crisis Team is a program of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and funded by the Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.

The MCT serves residents of Hamilton County who are experiencing a mental health crisis and have symptoms or behaviors that may indicate a risk to themselves or others, are unable to care for themselves or need immediate psychiatric care.

A master’s level clinician will work to de-escalate the crisis by utilizing crisis intervention techniques, completing a comprehensive assessment and safety plan, making a referral and/or connecting individuals to community resources. If someone is posing a risk of harming themselves or others, the social worker can authorize a mental health hold so they can be transported to a care facility for further evaluation and treatment.

UC Health is the only health system in the region that has a dedicated team that heads into the community to engage with patients where they are. The team has been providing community crisis response for mental health to children and adults in crisis situations since 1986. It is not a requirement to be a UC Health patient to use the Mobile Crisis service however, the response team serves all of Hamilton County.

In 2022, the MCT expanded thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act and funding from the Hamilton County Commissioners. The program grew to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with more staff on each shift and the opportunity to embed more trained clinicians with law enforcement to participate in runs where there may be concerns with mental health.

With the expansion came the ability to provide more proactive education to the community. “We’re able to provide more training to the county, everywhere from schools to local behavioral health agencies and make sure we get the word out about de-escalation and safety in the community,” says Cannon. 

A Team Approach to Care

The MCT combines the expertise of master’s level clinicians with the lived experience of peer support specialists along with behavioral health specialists to assist with follow-up and community education.

Licensed clinicians assess the nature of the crisis and assist the person in de-escalating the situation to the point where they are stable and feel as if they can cope. If that’s unable to happen, they ensure the individual gets the help they need by bringing them to the hospital for psychiatric care.

“I think of social workers as heart people, so when we go on a call, we are there to connect with people and get to know what the person needs. Just by saying, ‘I see that you’re hurting and I’m here for you,’ I think it helps soften the patient. This is their most vulnerable time, so I make sure they know I’m not here to judge them but to make sure they are safe and get the help they need,” says Amber Clark, licensed social worker with the MCT.

The team also employs peer support specialists with lived experience with either mental health issues or substance use disorders. These team members can empathize on a personal level with those in crisis.

“Showing up with our personal experience, I can get through to the patient in a different way. I can offer my story as living proof that not only is there a better way, but I’ve been where you’re at,” says Shane Achor, peer support specialist.  

A Call for Help: Our Team in Action

When a call comes in from someone experiencing a mental health crisis, triage begins immediately on the phone with our trained team members. This telephone screening helps to gather important information about the patient and their needs. At times, information and referrals can be completed over the phone.

If there’s a need for immediate crisis intervention, our MCT professionals dispatch for a run, often working alongside law enforcement. Once on scene, our trained team of professionals will:

• Assess the nature of the crisis
• Work to calm and de-escalate the situation
• Assist with solving any immediate conflicts
• Provide brief, crisis-informed interventions
• Arrange for further treatment
• Collaborate with other treatment professionals and/or loved ones to ensure the person has the support they need after a crisis.

Our MCT does not directly transport patients. If the individual poses a risk to themselves or others, they will be transported by police or EMS to Psychiatric Emergency Services or the Emergency Department at UC Medical Center.

Specific services include:

• Telephone screening
• Information and referral
• Crisis intervention
• Follow-up visits
• Referral to outpatient counseling and case management services
• Assistance with voluntary and involuntary hospitalizations
• Coordination of care with current providers
• Community education around mental health and de-escalation practices

Partnering for Success

Our crisis team partners with local emergency services, often dispatched through calls to 911. During runs, they are often working alongside local law enforcement during interventions to connect with patients experiencing a crisis.   

We also have MCT clinicians on site during the week at several Cincinnati Police Districts and Hamilton County Sheriff locations to accompany law enforcement units on emergency mental health calls and collaborate with officers regarding mental health issues. MCT also provides consultation, case management and follow-up on mental health calls.

An attending psychiatrist from the UC Medical Center Psychiatric Emergency Services is always on duty to review situations and assess patients. MCT can respond to certain situations in lieu of police response, saving the county valuable resources and freeing up law enforcement officers. Police assistance will be requested if there is a potential threat or risk

With a goal of keeping patients from experiencing a mental health crisis again, we often partner to refer individuals to myriad community resources and collaborate with individuals’ care teams if they are already receiving services. 

Getting Help from the UC Health Mobile Crisis Team

Mental health has long been a taboo topic, but it doesn’t have to be. The more education and resources we can provide, the further we can go toward ending the stigma and ensuring that people get the help they need in the right place at the right time.

At UC Health, we are committed to providing comprehensive, culturally competent care to people throughout our community in ways that go above and beyond the minimum. For the MCT, that means taking it to the streets to improve access to quality mental health care during the moments that people need it the most.

We are deploying our expert mental health professionals to meet people where they are to provide hope and opportunities for better outcomes. Licensed, trained mental health professionals are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide in-person crisis response for children, adolescents and adults.