A joint program of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and the support of the Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.
The Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) is a dedicated team that offers specialized mobile crisis services to the community. The team of behavioral health professionals supports law enforcement and emergency responders to provide appropriate intervention to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Mobile Crisis Team is to assess adults and children in the community who are experiencing a mental health crisis or behavioral health crisis. Mobile crisis services include crisis intervention, follow-up visits, and assistance with voluntary and involuntary hospitalizations. A trained mental health professional will assess the situation, offer de-escalation techniques, provide counseling, and connect individuals to appropriate mental health services and community resources.
If an individual is found to be at risk to themselves or others, the mobile crisis professional can authorize a mental health “hold” (Application for Emergency Admission) that allows the individual to be transported to the hospital for further psychiatric physician evaluation.
How to Make Referrals
To refer an adult or child to the Mobile Crisis Team (MCT), please call 513-584-5098. In the case of an emergency during after-hours, law enforcement may be called to assist.
Access to the Mobile Crisis Team is available through referral. Please call the provided number to initiate the process. In case of an emergency, police may be called to assist.
Who do our Mobile Crisis Teams Help?
The Mobile Crisis Team assists residents of Hamilton County, including children and adults, who are facing mental illness, substance use disorders or behavioral health concerns that may pose a risk to themselves or others.
The Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) serves residents of Hamilton County who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis and have symptoms or behaviors that may indicate a risk to themselves or others.
How do our Mobile Crisis Teams Help?
Mobile crisis teams respond to calls, assess the nature of the crisis, and work to calm and diffuse the situation using de-escalation techniques. They provide brief supportive treatment, and technical assistance, and arrange for further treatment with mental health services providers.
Once the Mobile Crisis Team is called to a situation and arrives on the scene, the trained team of professionals will:
- Assess the nature of the crisis.
- Use de-escalation techniques to calm and diffuse the situation.
- Help solve any immediate conflicts.
- Provide brief supportive counseling to those individuals involved.
- Arrange for further treatment and/or supportive services.
- Collaborate with first responders for appropriate transport to hospitals if needed.
- Engage the person in need of treatment and provide supportive counseling and guidance.
Note: All calls to the Mobile Crisis Team are triaged according to severity and the team works diligently to respond as quickly as possible to each request.
Specific Mental Health Crisis Services
Mobile crisis services encompass a wide range of support, including crisis intervention, follow-up visits, referral to outpatient counseling, and assistance with hospitalizations. These services also extend to schools and other locations where immediate support is required.
- Telephone screening
- Information and referral
- Crisis intervention
- Follow-up visits
- Referral to services such as outpatient counseling, case management and addiction services.
- Assistance with voluntary and involuntary
- Emergency psychiatric evaluation for potential hospitalization
- Consultation to community providers
- Peer support services
- Supporting the responses of local law enforcement
The Mobile Crisis Team does not directly transport patients to the hospital. If the individual is at risk to themselves or others, they will be transported by police or other emergency responder to Psychiatric Emergency Services at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Staffing
MCT behavioral health professionals are available 24/7 to triage and telephone screen all serious mental illnesses and health crises.
If you would like to consider joining our team, you can find more information on our recruitment web page: https://careers.uchealth.com/search/searchjobs.