QuickTake:
Lane County is planning to operate youth mobile crisis services with county staff, shifting away from a contract with a nonprofit provider.
Lane County is shifting its youth mobile crisis response services away from Springfield-based Riverview Center for Growth.
The transition will be finished by May 1, and the county will provide the mobile crisis response service through its staffers in-house.
The service provides 24/7 coverage for youth in crisis.
The county opted not to renew its contract with Riverview and make the change as a way to maintain services amid budget challenges, county spokesman Jason Davis said.
The county still needs to hire a couple of supervisors and will draw from its existing child and adolescent program, Davis said. Staff from the county’s existing mobile crisis service also will help with that work.
The dollar amount of the Riverview contract wasn’t immediately available Friday.
In 2025, Riverview’s Mobile Crisis Response and Stabilization Program handled 2,659 calls for children and youth in crisis. Of those, 54% were handled with phone calls. The remaining calls were handled in person by a dispatched two-member team trained to assist families.
The goal is to aid children in behavioral health crises and connect them with services to help them stabilize and get help, whether through Riverview or other organizations like Looking Glass Community Services.
“Our goal is to keep kids out of the emergency department for behavioral issues,” said Julie Williamson, director of crisis services.
The organization’s mobile crisis response has 30 staff who participate, including some who do it on a contract basis at night and have other day jobs, whether at Riverview or elsewhere. About half of the 30 people will lose their jobs, Williamson said.
Riverview will continue to offer other programs and services in Lane County, including wellness services, outpatient therapy and school-based mental health support services and in-home behavioral health services. Riverview staff provide assistance, stabilization and other services to youth at schools, shelters and other facilities that don’t have therapists on site.
“It has been a true privilege to walk alongside Lane County families and youth during some of their most difficult moments,” Williamson said in a statement. “Thank you for trusting us and allowing our team to support your family. While we are deeply saddened to bring these services to a close, our incredible team remains committed to this community and will continue finding meaningful ways to serve and support Lane County in the years ahead.”
The mobile crisis services for youth serve people up to age 18, and coordinates with the county’s mobile crisis service program for adults to decide which cases to take for youth who are up to 20 years old.
Davis said the public can access the county-run service by calling 911 or 988 for help.
For more information about Riverview’s services, visit RiverviewGrowth.org.