Dee Dill loves his work because it’s a lot of listening to familiar experiences.
As a peer support specialist on the Community Mobile Team, it’s Dill’s job to deal with mental health crises in real time. He can relate to what people are going through and wants to get them the same care that’s put him in a healthy enough place to help them.
“We’re able to step foot in their shoes, just for a little bit, to meet them where they’re at, and we’re able to walk with them through this,” Dill said.
The Community Mobile Team, a mental health crisis response team, is a pilot program of the mental health nonprofit Netcare Access, which gets funding from the Franklin County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board.
Mental health crisis teams are becoming more common in partnerships with law enforcement. Netcare Access has been operating in an independent model since early 2023 after previous work with law enforcement and has already served hundreds of those in need.
“When (George) Floyd happened, there was definitely a different reaction in the community at that time. They were saying, ‘Hey, we want a nonpolice response,'” said Shawn Daniels, a licensed social worker and the team’s mobile crisis manager. “So there were definitely some shifts in the ways that we wanted to be able to continue to provide (mental health) services to the community.”
The program serves Franklin County and is made up of clinicians and peer support specialists — individuals who have lived experience with mental health and substance use issues. It aims to divert mental health and substance use crises calls from law enforcement to trained professionals.
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They go wherever a person may be experiencing a crisis, whether it be at home, a gas station or a park, and help them get both immediate and continued care.
“Everybody’s story is different, and we meet all these different types of people every day, and the end goal still at the end of the day, is to be loving and kind and support our community,” Dill said.
What does one of the team’s crisis calls look like?
When the team receives a call, the first priority is information, such as location and the type of crisis. Depending on the situation, they may be able to gather information from the individual, from a Medicare record or Netcare Access’ records if they’re a current or past client.
The team then gathers the appropriate resources for the specific crisis and hops in a discreet, unlabeled car, so as not to draw unnecessary attention.
On the scene, the clinician and peer support specialist work together to get the person to the other side of their crisis, determining whether or not they may need to be hospitalized or can remain in the community. If they can remain, they’re connected with resources like outpatient therapy, support groups and more. If not, they’re taken to a more intensive care location.
About 51% of calls end with a person staying in the community, according to Netcare Access. They’re then followed up with to make sure they’re continuing care. Of the dozens of monthly calls, only one on average has needed additional support from police.
‘They want to see you get better.’
From its inception in 2023 to September, the team has served more than 1,000 people in Franklin County experiencing trauma or a mental health or substance use crisis. Those instances include a wide range of experiences, including overwhelming anxiety, drug overdoses, psychosis or suicidal ideation.
Anne Rogers is one of those 1,000. Chronic physical and mental illnesses, conflict with loved ones and the loss of a job prompted her to call 988 after experiencing suicidal ideation. An operator suggested the Community Mobile Team visit her.
The team was kind, polite and noninvasive, Rogers said. She said she was at first reluctant to leave her apartment to seek further care for her crisis, but validation and vulnerability from a peer support specialist who shared their own experience encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone and get the help she needed.
“I would think it’s fair to say that the people who are there — that they care and they want to see you thrive,” Rogers said. “They want to see you get better. They don’t want to see you struggle. They understand that life is hard.”
How to access the community mobile team
If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, you can receive a mobile team response by calling 988 or NetCare Access’ crisis line at 614-276-2273. The services are 100% free, Daniels said.
Further instructions and details about what to expect and how to prepare for a call can be found on the Netcare Access website.
If you’re interested in becoming a peer support specialist, you can find more information with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services website.
“We’re always here, and we’re always willing to respond to the crisis no matter what it is,” Daniels emphasized.
Samantha Hendrickson is The Dispatch’s medical business and health care reporter. She can be reached at shendrickson@dispatch.com