Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mobile Crisis topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Iroquois County health committee hears plan for 24/7 mobile crisis team funded by federal grant
Summary
Health committee members were briefed on a federally funded mobile crisis response program that began July 1 and will staff two-person teams 24/7 to respond to 911 and 988 calls in Iroquois County. The agency said the award is about $763,000 per year and will fund leased vehicles and dedicated staff.
The Iroquois County Health Committee on July 7 heard details of a new mobile crisis response program that began July 1 and is funded by a federal pass-through grant the presenter said is about $763,000 per year.
The presenter, who identified herself as Alice Costons and said she is the new clinical director, told the committee the program will field two-person teams around the clock and accept dispatches from local first responders. “When we get a call from 911, we have an hour to make it to the location,” she said, adding that 988 calls will be triaged under a shorter response window tied to the county coverage area.
The presenter said vehicles for the program will be leased. “We will be leasing vehicles,” she told the committee. She said teams will include a certified care-support worker and a mental-health professional and that the program will both answer direct crisis calls and partner with 911 and local public-safety agencies.
Committee members pressed for details about outreach and how residents will learn about 988. The presenter said the grant is a federal pass-through award and that the county’s responsibility includes local promotion: the federal program will run national advertising, while the agency will “do our due diligence to make sure that Iroquois County knows” about the hotline and service.
Committee members asked about coverage, dispatching and staffing as the program ramps up; the presenter said the funded plan anticipates building to a staffed team that can respond 24 hours a day and that the award will support employees dedicated to crisis response rather than supplementing existing positions.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the program during the meeting. Members recommended continued coordination with local emergency services and requested follow-up details about service boundaries, response times and a local public-awareness plan.
The program’s presenter said the agency will provide the committee with additional operational details and outreach materials as they are finalized.
