Across Buffalo and Erie County, too many families who have experienced a behavioral health crisis have found themselves asking the same difficult question: Why was it so hard for their loved one to get the help they needed? We’ve heard this question too often and asked it ourselves. We’ve seen the painful
consequences of a behavioral health system that’s overburdened, fragmented and often inaccessible. That’s why we’ve joined forces to launch the Crisis to Care Collaborative.

This is the first initiative of its kind in our region: a long-term, countywide effort to ensure that individuals experiencing a behavioral health emergency receive accessible, effective behavioral health crisis stabilization services and follow-up care. It’s a new way of working together across jurisdictions and systems to build a better model.

For too long, law enforcement and EMS have been the default responders to mental health emergencies. Our officers and paramedics do their best, but they aren’t trained mental health professionals. Meanwhile, one of the only places available to take people in crisis is ECME’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program. It was never meant to handle the current volume or diversity of needs. This broken cycle helps no one. And it must change.

The Crisis to Care Collaborative is how we begin that change. Guided by a “Call-Respond-Go” framework, the Collaborative is working to improve each stage of the crisis response process. That means improving how we handle the call – ensuring that when someone dials for help, trained dispatchers have more than just police, fire or EMS at their disposal. It means improving how we respond – ensuring the right responder for the situation is on scene. And it means
transforming where people go – avoid defaulting to an emergency room and instead transport them to a setting that truly fits their needs.

Together, we’re identifying the biggest gaps in the system and charting a road map forward. It will take time. But we’re moving forward – together.

We hope you can join us at 5 p.m. on Aug. 13 at the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers to share your thoughts and experiences with initiative leaders.

To learn more, visit CrisisToCare.org.

This article was originally published on The Buffalo News. Read the original article here.