It will work with adults & children with mental health challenges, addictions 
Frederick, Md (KM) Mobile crisis services will be expanded in Frederick County. Scott Rose, Chief of Rehabilitation and Recovery Services for Sheppard Pratt, said during the County Executive’s public information briefing on Tuesday, that the service will be available 24-hours a day, seven days a week for adults and children experiencing mental health challenges and addictions.
“The objectives of the mobile crisis services are to provide rapid access, assess the individual, resolve crisis situation, provide linkage and short term follow up to appropriate care, and prevent and reduce unnecessary law enforcement involvement, emergency department use and hospitalization,” he said.
Sheppard Pratt will operate the mobile crisis service through the Way Station, and under an agreement with the Frederick County Health Department. Health Officer Dr. Barbara Brookmyer says this accomplishes a goal of the local Health Department. “And the goal that we have through our local behavioral health authority is to build a 24/7 accessible, responsive and culturally sensitive system of care for those with behavioral health needs, mental health needs, substance use disorder needs,” she says.
Rose cited studies which say mobile crisis units save communities money in the long run. “These studies have found that mobile crises are clinically effective and diverting people in crisis from psychiatric hospitalization; effective in linking suicidal individuals discharged from emergency departments to services; and better than hospitalization at linking people in crisis to outpatient services,” he said.
County Executive Jan Gardner said she will be introducing a supplemental budget to start up this program. “We’re going to reprogram some other funding within county government, including from within the Sheriff’s Office, and that does come with his support,” she says. “And then we’ll have potential grant funds to make this work.”
Gardner says it’s expected to take several months to get this program up and running.
By Kevin McManus