Mobile Crisis Services On-Site, Around the Clock, Every Day

Wheeler’s Mobile Crisis Intervention Services (MCIS) has moved on-site, in-person coverage to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in order to best meet the needs of communities in Central Connecticut.

Beginning in January, Wheeler’s program, and others like it across the state, expanded from phone support only in the overnight hours to in-person care, says Emily Kahnke, LMFT, Program Manager, New Britain. The shift dramatically increased the size and support of the team, including new triage staff, senior counselors, and more.

“We always give families the choice, but we prefer to lead with ‘We’ll come to your house,’” she says. “It gives families and callers a lot of comfort, knowing that we can respond quickly, whether it’s two in the afternoon, or 2 AM.”

When they arrive, mobile crisis teams start with a full crisis assessment safety plan, addressing the acute situations in the “here and now,” Kahnke adds. The plans are individualized for the child, determining whether a higher level of care is needed in the short term, and supporting the family in whatever they’re facing at the moment.

Just as important, mobile crisis staff then continue the relationships for more than a month after the visit, both in person and over the phone, to guide and support the family with their challenges and refer to other services as needed.

Kahnke says that the word ‘crisis’ may bring with it a connotation, but “what’s an crisis to them is a crisis to us,” and the teams routinely address a wide variety of issues including behavioral crises, attention deficit hyperactivity, trauma, depression, anxiety, and, particularly in the digital age, troubling online behavior and other issues related to social media or phone use, or even school refusal.

School systems are among the most common users of mobile crisis services, she says, and the program has close collaborations with districts across Wheeler’s regions in Greater Hartford and New Britain. 

In addition, in Hartford, Wheeler’s MCIS partners with the city through the HEARTeam (Hartford Emergency Assistance Response Team), a coalition of three partner organizations who provide an alternative response to emergency calls for service involving residents in emotional crisis, including mental health episodes. The HEARTeam initiative allows for a tailored emergency response. Upon receiving a call to 911, emergency dispatchers assess the situation and send HEARTeam responders to assist in the situations where specialized non-law enforcement intervention is most effective. Each of the three partner organizations will have a distinct responsibility within the HEARTeam. Wheeler responds to children and youth under 18 who experience any behavioral health crisis. 

To access mobile crisis services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, please call 211.