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Parent urges board to permit DHHS mobile crisis response for school psychiatric emergencies
Summary
A Cumberland resident urged the board during public comment to adopt a policy ensuring that DHHS mobile crisis teams may be called for psychiatric emergencies in schools when requests have been denied, and requested clearer procedures and visitor policy language.
During the public‑comment period on Jan. 16, Brittany (Britney) Morske of Cumberland told the MSAD 51 board that families and staff have been denied access to the state's mobile crisis service for students with escalating behavioral or psychiatric needs and asked the board to adopt a policy to ensure families' right to request crisis response.
Morske said some students with IEPs had requested DHHS mobile crisis response but were denied, leaving teachers and BCBAs to attempt de‑escalation and, if unsuccessful, to call administrators or local law enforcement and 911. "The mobile crisis unit is trained and offered free for these exact scenarios," Morske told the board, and she said crisis staff told her they had never encountered a district that denied their service.
She asked that the board create a policy that (1) protects access to mobile crisis in school incidents, (2) sets guidelines on event duration and factors considered unmanageable by staff, and (3) clarifies visitor‑policy language so mobile crisis personnel are not treated as ordinary visitors when called in an emergency. Morske said the district protocol currently does not explicitly include calling the crisis team.
Board chair Leanne (chair name in transcript) acknowledged the request; no board vote or formal directive was recorded during the meeting. Board members and staff did not report a change to written procedure on the record at that time.
