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Designated agencies describe crisis continuum and urge ED diversion, universal screening in testimony to Health Care committee
Summary
Northeast Kingdom Human Services and partners described mobile crisis, walk‑in urgent cares and screening data to the House Committee on Health Care, reporting that most mobile crisis encounters resolve in the community and that universal C‑SSRS screening increases disclosure of suicidal ideation, strengthening the case for community‑based crisis care.
Kelsey Stavseth, executive director of Northeast Kingdom Human Services and co‑president of Vermont Care Partners, told the House Committee on Health Care that community‑based crisis services and universal screening have changed how suicidality is detected and managed in Vermont.
"When people show up to the ED, we're called. We send people in, support them, and then try and find different placements, hopefully community based," Stavseth said as she described the crisis continuum that includes mobile crisis response, mental‑health urgent care centers and follow‑up services.
Key findings presented: Stavseth said NKHS mobile crisis resolves roughly 85 percent of encounters in the community, with most people returning to community care. She also told the committee that before universal screening the self‑reported rate of suicidal ideation was about 11 percent; after implementing the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C‑SSRS) screening, roughly 50 percent of screened people endorsed ideation, changing the scope and intensity of follow‑up care.
Stavseth listed several regional urgent‑care models in Vermont — including Howard Center in partnership with Pathways and UBMC, UCS’s pediatric psychological urgent care, CSAC Interlude, the Washington County access hub and the Front Porch in Newport — and said the state aims to regionalize 24/7 services across the lifespan even though staffing and capacity present challenges.
She also noted that some crisis calls involve embedded Vermont State Police positions that may respond, and stressed the importance of warm handoffs among hospitals, primary care and community clinicians. "We need a good crisis continuum, ED diversion so that when people are acutely suicidal or have attempted, there should be somebody there or some support there right away," she told the committee.
What the committee heard: Members asked about crisis beds and statewide capacity; Stavseth said there are crisis/overnight beds in some programs (the Front Porch includes beds) and that utilization targets are around 80 percent, but that determining statewide bed need requires further data collection and analysis.
Next steps and context: No policy vote occurred at the hearing; witnesses provided slide materials and data for committee review. Advocates asked lawmakers to consider investment in regional urgent‑care capacity, training for clinicians and funding to broaden universal screening and follow‑up services across the state.
