Nearly $1 Million Grant Expands Treatment Options for People Experiencing Mental Health Crisis

This is a press release from the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services:

Humboldt County Seal 2017A nearly $1 million dollar grant over the next three years will expand treatment options for people experiencing mental health crisis.

The funding, from the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission’s SB 82 Triage grant, will make it possible for Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Mental Health clinicians to address mental health crises in the field and prevent hospitalization.

In the past, when DHHS’s psychiatric hospital, Sempervirens, or its Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) reached capacity, patients waiting to be admitted on the recommendation of law enforcement or local emergency department physicians would have to stay in an emergency room until a bed became available.

In July 2016, DHHS launched a Mobile Crisis Response pilot program that freed up Mental Health clinicians to go to local emergency departments to provide mental health assessments to patients in need. Five months later, due to the success of the program, it was made permanent.

DHHS Mental Health Director Emi Botzler-Rodgers said the grant will fund additional personnel allowing for Mental Health to increase its responsiveness to people experiencing mental health crises in the community. It will also strengthen coordination with community partners including law enforcement, emergency room personnel and other service providers.

“It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to be able to respond as a team with the other key service providers working to support, stabilize and maintain health and well-being in Humboldt County,” she said. “There are so many people doing this very challenging work, so to be able to do it together and coordinate efforts is incredibly rewarding and much more efficient and effective.”

For more information about Mental Health services, visit humboldtgov.org/MentalHealth.

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Dan Fuller
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Dan Fuller
5 years ago

LONG Overdue!!!

Dr. Strong
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Dr. Strong
5 years ago

I see that this grant does NOTHING to increase access to psychiatric hospitalization for those who actually need it. The stated purpose of the grant is to provide more staff to rescind 5150’s at the ER and reduce SV workload. Unfortunately, there are many people who would benefit from 3-10 days in SV and this will make it harder for them to access.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Dr. Strong

I understand that out of hospital triage would mean less automatic holds but why does that mean people who need admittance would not get it after evaluation?

Dr. Strong
Guest
Dr. Strong
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Currently, people who need help show up at the Mental Health Crisis and get turned away. Yes even those who are a danger to self and others. Posting the screeners in the ER will just keep those cases at a greater distance. The point of Mental Health is to hospitalize as few people as possible. Unfortunately many people would greatly benefit from being hospitalized and stabilized.

ernestine
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ernestine
5 years ago
Reply to  Dr. Strong

Dr Strong has interpreted this exactly right.

this paragraph is where it’s hidden: “In July 2016, DHHS launched a Mobile Crisis Response pilot program that freed up Mental Health clinicians to go to local emergency departments to provide mental health assessments to patients in need. Five months later, due to the success of the program, it was made permanent.”

this does not translate into “hospitalizations for those who need them.” see the gary bullock case for all the evidence you need on that. mental health saw him. jail mental health saw him, and still everyone has a nightmare from how that turned out.

that paragraph translates into, ‘we send out nice ladies with student debt and tell them “if you want to keep your job and be able to repay that debt, send 95% of the people you assess right back into the hell they came from; wish their family good luck; and get your documentation in on time; nevermind about your ideals and your human dignity– you can put that in the trash heap with theirs.’

do not not translate this rant into ‘she just wants mental health to close.’ it translates into me wanting the Board of Supervisors to fire 75% of the “administrative overhead” and put those dollars to work treating people.

a million dollars over three years is literally $900 a day. nowhere nowhere nowhere in that press release does it say how many more hospitalizations or other options for TREATMENT that money might afford.

because that administration has ZERO intention of seeing one more human feel better. They talk about being excited because they have this backward notion that treating people costs them money instead of pays them money, and now they have dedicated funds to send people in need away from treatment.

i will never understand it as long as i live. but the more i think about it, the more upset i become

and furthermore, the clinicians cost about $200 a day, so even in teams of two, there’s a surplus of $500 a day, where is that money going?

Ms X
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Ms X
5 years ago
Reply to  ernestine

All too true

memy selfandi
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memy selfandi
5 years ago
Reply to  ernestine

Ernestine and Dr. Strong summed it up so very well and shed light into the mechanical crevasses of a failed machinery. What you described needs to be publicized frequently, broadly and and alternatives demanded.

What about you two going to city counsel meetings and organizing some sort of march right before for mental health care ? Would flooding a city hall meeting and having hundreds outside in support of real health care instead of our current mental HELL system have an impact while there is still a chance for that money to be better spent? If meeting after meeting had hundreds show up it might make news and get publicized.

shak
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shak
5 years ago
Reply to  ernestine

Your question is not new. It’s been asked for decades.
Those who are tired of it, have unified to end it.
They divided us for a reason. Race, status, education, gender, religion, political partys, … but then they decided to go a step further and divide the divided.
We are asleep no more.

Never ever sign a ‘top security’ paper.

Once the millions upon millions of the gagged realize that all they have to do is stand up, the corruption is over.
The not so secret anymore rhino’s military industrial complex will fold. The people’s defense military will strengthen.
But it’s up to the people to stop fighting, stop being divided, stop believing what the talking heads tell us to believe.

I’ve already said too much.
With that said, I’ll drop one of the video’s still available for viewing, despite the heavy censorship.

Like they say, where we go 1, we go all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aImFfk5jbDk

memy selfandi
Guest
memy selfandi
5 years ago
Reply to  Dr. Strong

Yes, not only for 72 hours but for months or for as long as needed. A tiny house village for people with mental health issues would provide a safe quiet place to rest, privacy and have social connection as well as a centralized place for social workers and therapists to visit. ONE MILLION could pay for two tiny house village sanctuaries AND also for social workers and therapists to visit there where they can do some potential good vs the ER where I am guessing they require someone answer a slew of personal questions to a stranger likely in public and then be dumped in the streets again.

Ezra
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Ezra
5 years ago

Definitely needed, spend it wisely, our community strongly would benefit…

Pinch of Salt River
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Pinch of Salt River
5 years ago

It’s a small move in a good direction for Eureka and HumCo. Let’s see where the money goes, and more importantly, what the money does. Hope levels increasing locally with this news.

Groba dude trustafarian osnt
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Groba dude trustafarian osnt
5 years ago

The streets everywhere in the western parts of the country are full of people who need inpatient mental health care. Self medicating crazies waste your money and the resources of public service.

The lack of mental health services in this country is shameful, and the reason for this deficit is that caring for these patients just doesn’t make anyone any money.

One million dollars will not begin to solve anything, and our incompetent and corrupt county government will likely steal and waste a significant portion of the grant, but it is a start.

Meanwhile, county supervisors are busy being toadies to drug dealers… That’s you, Estelle…

This blog will exhort you to adopt a desperate pet. Will the people of this country develop care for the mentally disabled?

What is going on?
Guest
What is going on?
5 years ago

Them,funds are going to get swallowed up in no time by the administrators of mental health let alone to think of the amount of mentally ill fuckers running around in eureka alone that need treatment. This is a drop of water on a big hot rock!

memy selfandi
Guest
memy selfandi
5 years ago

Repeated marches and flooding of city hall meetings might make a difference? As Ernestine points out it is $900 a day which could do a lot of good.

memy selfandi
Guest
memy selfandi
5 years ago

YEARS AGO The City of Eureka brought Dr Sam Tsemberis to speak about his team’s discoveries regarding mental health and their actions that led to long-standing solutions; hundreds of Eurekans showed up, including landlords and DHHS folks and Open Door staff yet nothing has been done:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYJNRuQzXxY

I am beginning to think that the non government entities that “Provide” affordable housing want to keep their units filled with a two year waiting list. Also seems Eureka wants only to shove mental health problems on police and social workers and a few charities rather than invest in a real and lasting solution.

MEANWHILE we are 10 years behind cities like St. Petersburg that got busy rather than just whining about their shopping, brunch views and sidewalks being disturbed.

“‘I am on my knees in thanks,’ said former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker…during an anniversary celebration this month.”

http://www.tampabay.com/news/From-swampland-to-sprawling-homeless-refuge-Pinellas-Hope-celebrates-10-years_163846295