SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - When you call 911 for a medical concern, an ambulance will likely arrive, along with potentially police officers and firefighters. This used to be the same if you called 911 for a mental health concern as well.

But since April 2022, clinicians from Memorial Behavioral Health's mobile crisis unit will respond with police. The Mobile Crisis Unit consists of 15 clinicians, who provide 24/7 care in eight Central Illinois counties. They help determine if the person seeking helps needs to go to a hospital, can stay home, or if police need to be involved in another way.

"Bringing a mental health professional in to make those decisions is just a better experience for all involved," said Leaha Jones, the Manager of Memorial Behavioral Health's Mobile Crisis Response program. "Ideally if someone is calling and experiencing a mental health crisis, we get the people there to be able to help assess their needs. We understand trauma and all of that background." 

Jones says when people are in the middle of a crisis, such as a panic attack, having police officers come to their home can be stressful or intimidating. But when an un-uniformed, clinician can accompany them and provide a calming presence, it can help crises end more quickly. 

The program is beneficial to law enforcement, and hospitals as well. It helps police stay focused on calls that need them, and keeps people who can receive help at home, out of emergency rooms. Last year, the mobile crisis response team responded to 3,801 calls. 

"Mobile crisis is here 24/7, 365 days a year," said Jones "There's always someone on the other line, and I would rather have someone in the community call, even if they don't feel like they're at that level of crisis. We're not here to judge. We're not here to predetermine what a crisis is or isn't. We want to help."

The Mobile Crisis Unit is free, and can be reached by calling (217) 788-7070. Not all calls end in a home visit, clinicians can connect over the phone as well. Click here for more information.  

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