Mobile team aids families in crisis
Friday, April 28th, 2006
By Chris Fitzsimon
Scott Parrott
Times-News Staff Writer
scott.parrott@hendersonvillenews.com
Late at night, mental illness drives a child into crisis. The child lashes out, throws things, threatens family members.
Not too long ago, the police would have been called and the child taken into custody. The child likely would have wound up in an emergency room and later hospitalized for mental health treatment.
But a new program launched in Henderson County hopes to change the trying situation.
Armed with a $100,000 state grant, New Vistas-Mountain Laurel recently launched a mobile crisis team, which can respond to the homes of people in crisis.
The team can help calm the situation. It also can help family members form ways to ease future crises and put them in touch with mental health care providers for follow-up sessions. Families can receive assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"That has not been something readily available in the past," said Barry Beavers, the director of Mountain Laurel Community Services. "In the past, a lot of community members, parents, clients have been upset that our help services ended at 5 p.m. even when Mountain Laurel extended office hours. Crises happen at three in the morning."
Other changes could also be on the way. (more…)
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