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Stride Center tells Bloomington council its crisis model diverts people from ER and jail
Summary
Linda Grove Paul of Centerstone briefed the Bloomington Common Council on Stride Center and Stride Mobile’s 24/7 crisis services, citing data the program serves largely unhoused clients, reduces inpatient/ER use and provides mobile response across five counties. Council agreed to publicize the service.
Linda Grove Paul, representing the Stride Center operated by Centerstone, told the Bloomington Common Council on Oct. 16 that the Stride model pairs a 24/7 crisis facility with mobile crisis teams and post-visit follow-up to keep people out of hospital and jail.
Paul said Stride opened in 2020 and evolved from a 2017 coalition seeking alternatives to calling 911 for behavioral-health crises. She described Stride as a low-barrier, non-stigmatizing access point where callers can get immediate help or a mobile team response. "You just need to have help. You need support," Paul said, explaining the program’s emphasis on de-escalation and connection to services.
Council members received outcome data: Paul said about 84% of visits come from people who are unhoused and that from the facility’s perspective at least 65% of guests are discharged back to the community rather than to a higher level of care. She said Centerstone’s Medicaid-claims analysis showed roughly a 30% decrease in inpatient and emergency department utilization for people who visited Stride, comparing claims six months before and six months after a first visit. Paul also said Stride Mobile has done more than 1,000 mobile deployments since January and reported a median response time of about 36 minutes across its five-county service area.
Paul described partnerships as central to the model: law enforcement, IU Health, county social-service agencies, Area 10 Agency on Aging, schools and probation. She said the program also works with residential providers — naming Valley Vista, Options and Well Springs — to secure short-term placements when needed and to provide transportation and paperwork to support continuity of care.
On federal and state policy, Paul noted the emergence of 988 as a contact number and said referrals from 988 to Stride have been limited so far (she reported 10 referrals), while Stride’s own mobile deployments have been far more numerous. She urged the council to help publicize alternatives to 911 so residents know other options exist.
Council members asked about partners, capacity and how Stride measures outcomes. Paul recommended tours of the facility to better understand its work and provided a public contact number for the program: +1 (877) 463-6512.
Why it matters: Council members and staff can influence how quickly residents and referring agencies learn about on-demand crisis alternatives. Paul framed Stride as a local, evidence-oriented complement to emergency responders that reduces higher-cost hospital and jail utilization.
Next steps: The council agreed to publicize Stride services and asked staff and council members to share information with constituents and community partners.
