Tompkins County mental-health committee reviews incident trends, expands naloxone access and care coordination

At a May meeting of the Tompkins County Community Services Board, the county's quality‑assurance lead summarized findings from the 2024 Office of Mental Health (OMH) incident review committee and described corrective actions the county has taken to reduce client risk and improve care coordination.

The presentation, given by Jana, the county's quality assurance and improvement coordinator, said the committee reviewed 42 reportable incidents from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024, and that the committee's work focuses on identifying system failures and recommending process changes rather than assigning blame. Jana said the committee recorded fewer deaths in 2024 than in 2023, reported two fatal overdoses in 2024 compared with seven the prior year, and recorded two suicides; she also said many of the nonfatal overdose cases involved either illegal drugs or overdoses on prescription or over‑the‑counter medications.

Jana summarized corrective actions and organizational priorities that grew from incident reviews: improved screening for co‑occurring substance use disorders, expanded access to medication‑assisted treatment (MAT), broader naloxone distribution, enhanced risk assessments and safety planning, staff training and retention efforts, caseload‑management improvements, and updated policies and procedures. "We really do try to emphasize that when clinicians are presenting their case, that we're not here to blame them," Jana said. "It's more looking for where the process is breaking down so that in the future clients can get the support they need when they need it."

On substance use and MAT, Jana said the county aims to screen clients for substance use by their second intake appointment and has improved assessment rates since 2023. She…