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Social services explores crisis‑response partnerships, 988 link and regional behavioral‑health triage
Summary
Los Alamos County social services staff described work to build crisis‑response partnerships — including coordination with police, EMTs and a potential regional behavioral‑health triage facility — and said they will pursue regional discussions following lessons from a national conference.
Social services staff and Health Council members discussed building a coordinated crisis‑response system that would link 988 mental health calls, local first responders and regional behavioral‑health triage resources.
Jessica, a social‑services staff member who spoke to the council, said she attended a national conference on crisis‑response networks and is exploring models for a rural area like Los Alamos County. She described a range of approaches—from co‑response teams where social workers ride with police or fire to models in which social workers follow up after first responders to provide non‑tactical clinical support.
The discussion reflected several strands of work: the county’s interest in how police and EMTs connect with social services when officers encounter concerns such as possible hoarding or food insecurity; the nationwide rollout of 988 as a mental‑health emergency line; and the feasibility of regional triage facilities to shorten transports to Santa Fe.
Tyler Jones, introduced as a Los Alamos Visiting Nurses employee and emergency responder, said he helped start a Santa Fe crisis‑response unit initially known as “Meeho” and described it as an evolving approach that brought together ambulances, police, fire and case managers.
Jessica told the council that in one immediate step the county will host a representative from Esperanza domestic violence shelter in the Social Services office twice a month so clients can be warm‑handed to shelter staff. She also said Jordan (from Jessica’s office) is assembling a survey to collect feedback from previous Social Services clients to inform the design of local responses.
Funding and regional coordination: Staff cautioned that many crisis‑response pilots nationally have used Medicaid funds or related federal/state streams; the transcript recorded concern that some of those funding sources are uncertain and could be reduced at the federal level. Council members and staff said they plan to discuss a regional approach with counterparts in Española and Santa Fe and consider whether a multi‑county triage facility could reduce repeated ED transports to Santa Fe.
What’s next: Staff recommended exploring pilot options that fit existing local dispatch and staffing capabilities, and continuing conversations with neighboring counties and the state health authority.
No formal decisions or votes were recorded in the transcript; the discussion centered on planning, information‑gathering and next‑step coordination.
