JERSEY CITY, NJ (GovWire) - Jersey City is taking a step towards providing more comprehensive and effective response to mental health crises in the community. At the Jersey City Municipal Caucus Meeting on November 6, 2023, a resolution was passed authorizing the award of a competitive bid contract to the Jersey City Medical Center to provide community crisis response to 911 Behavioral Health call services.
Vice President of Operation Rob Winston was present at the meeting to address questions and provide more information about the program. According to Winston, the program will embed a mental health clinician within the 911 call center as part of the emergency medical dispatch team. When a 911 call comes in and is determined to be a medical or mental health concern, it will be diverted to the emergency medical dispatch. The clinician will then join the call and, based on their assessment, the mobile teams in the community will be dispatched.
The mobile team will consist of an EMT and a licensed mental health professional. They will arrive on the scene, engage with the individual, family, and community members, and determine the best course of action. This could include de-escalating the situation in the community, providing a warm handoff to services, or arranging for transport to the hospital if necessary.
This program aims to provide individuals with the support and resources they need to address their mental health concerns in a timely and effective manner. It is a step towards ensuring that mental health crises are handled with the same level of care and attention as physical health emergencies.
The city's decision to award this contract to the Jersey City Medical Center is a positive step towards addressing the needs of those experiencing mental health crises in the community. As Vice President of Operation Rob Winston stated, "This program is a step towards providing more comprehensive and effective response to mental health crises in the community."
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