Mental Health Help
The holidays can regularly be a difficult time for many people and this year they may be even harder than usual. With the concerns of our loved one’s health and safety on our minds, we may be celebrating a little bit differently, and that can cause added strain as well.
I want to remind everyone that help is available for anyone who may be struggling this season. Last December our Department of Mental Health launched the Children’s Community Assistance, Response, and Engagement Team or Children’s CARE Team for short.
The CARE Team is mobile and consists of a behavioral health worker as well as a family peer advocate who can meet a family at home, school or elsewhere in the community. They respond to help any individuals under the age of 21 experiencing non-life-threatening behavioral and/or emotional challenges. The service is available from 12 pm – 8 pm 7 days a week, including holidays.
The team will work closely with a youth and their family to stabilize the situation, assist with follow-up and appropriate referrals and can stay involved with the family for up to eight weeks. We know how difficult these past two years have been for all of us but especially for children and young adults who have had to adapt to an all-new set of circumstances.
Best of all this service is FREE to those utilizing the service and is being funded through Rockland County’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant with NO COST to local taxpayers.
The CARE Team is an addition to Rockland’s existing youth behavioral health crisis services and will complement the Behavioral Health Response Team (BHRT) established in 2015 – which serves people of all ages, assesses the need for hospitalization and includes medical staff.
The CARE Team is based on the MRSS (Mobile Response and Stabilization Service) model which is in place in several other states. Rockland’s is the first MRSS program in NY state and is being considered by the State Office of Mental Health as a possible “pilot program” that could lead to other MRSS programs throughout NY.
Rockland has long been ahead of the curve at tending to our resident’s mental health, and we will continue to look to utilize programs that are free to use for our residents and offer a comprehensive response. You can call 845-517-0400 to be connected with either the CARE Team or the Behavioral Health Response Team.
I urge those who are facing challenges this year to reach out; help is available. There is no shame in utilizing these services and working with these dedicated professionals to navigate any crisis you face.
