Providing crisis services on site allows persons in crisis to have immediate access to assessment and crisis resolution, regardless of the time and place of the precipitating event or the person’s transportation resources. That is the focus of the Texas Panhandle MHMHR Moblie Crisis Outreach Team, or MCOT.
MCOT is designed to:
- Reach more of those in need in times of crisis
- Enhance existing crisis services
- Be a resource for law enforcement and others
- Address both urban and rural needs
- Divert appropriate individuals from jails and hospitals to less restrictive treatment
MCOT
may also provide temporary services in the community to individuals who need psychiatric treatment but will not use the conventional system to access care. Often these individuals have urgent needs but do not meet criteria for involuntary detention. Mobile crisis outreach teams work closely with law enforcement and other local crisis responders. MCOT operates in union with the Texas Panhandle MHMR Crisis Hotline.
Goals of MCOT
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Act as a resource/diversion process for people who may not need hospitalization at point of contact, but who whose condition would later deteriorate to the point of needing hospitalization if intervention does not occur
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Increase law enforcement officer safety through education and training on how to successfully interact with persons in a mental health crisis
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Increase community safety by reducing the number of incidents where force is used against persons with mental illness or mental retardation
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Decrease the amount of time spent by officers handling calls involving persons in a mental health crisis
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Improve the treatment, health, and overall quality of life for persons with mental illness in the Texas Panhandle
Composition
The Texas Panhandle MHMR MCOT was developed to address both semi-urban and rural needs. The MCOT urban team works closely with the Amarillo Police Department. MCOT rural provides crisis coverage for the other 19 counties of the Texas Panhandle MHMR Local Service Area, and works closely with law enforcement and other care providers to improve access to existing crisis resources. These resources include:
- PATH (Projects for Assistance In Transitioning from Homelessness).
- Triage assessment and psychiatric evaluation for medication therapy through the TPMHMR out patient clinics.
- OSAR (Outreach Screening Assessment and Referral) Services.
- Linkage to basic needs resources
- Peer Support Services for support and advocacy
- STAR – Services to At Risk Youth
- Family Partner Services
- CPS/APS Intervention
- Inpatient psychiatric treatment – Local Behavioral Health Facility
- Mental Health Bond or Pre-trail Diversion Programs
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