Amidst a Healthcare Workforce Shortage and a Rise in Mental Health and SUD Related Crises, MHAST Rapidly Pivots to Address Critical Community Needs

Care Compass Collaborative (CCC) is proud to announce that the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier, Inc. (MHAST) has been awarded a grant through the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) to develop a Supportive Crisis Stabilization Center (SCSC) in Broome County, New York. The SCSC will serve the Southern Tier region, which includes Broome County, as well as Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Tioga, Tompkins, Schuyler, and Steuben counties. The Southern Tier region has a provider shortage, and has consequently experienced an alarming increase in mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) related crises over the past several years. To address this critical need, MHAST’s SCSC will be rooted in evidence-based, person-centered, and peer-led mental health and SUD services.

Over the past 90 years, MHAST has utilized a peer-based service model for all programs including mobile crisis, crisis respite, and warm line services to allow persons with lived experience (PWLE) to find meaningful work in helping others along similar roads to recovery. Through the SCSC, MHAST will align its current peer-based services and clinically-based mobile crisis team with the complementary services of other critical community partners across the Southern Tier. Designed to be an alternative to the emergency room for youth, adolescents, families, and adults, the center will offer walk-in services related to mental health and substance use needs 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year, including screening, assessment, therapeutic interventions, and after-care planning. This wholistic behavioral health continuum of care will not only consider a person’s needs during their care at the SCSC, but also their care after discharge. During the initial intake, a social determinants of health needs assessment will be administered in order to identify and address any concerns such as personal safety, adequate housing, food insecurity, and unemployment early in the process. These concerns will be accounted for and incorporated into the client’s discharge and after-care plans to ensure they can achieve and sustain a successful pathway to recovery. Through the SCSC, MHAST will work to reduce health disparities and health inequities among people experiencing mental health and substance use related crises, and ensure that access to care is available to the most vulnerable individuals in the community.

“Currently individuals who are experiencing crises related to behavioral health have few comprehensive walk-in options available that truly work to address the root cause(s) of a person’s needs. The establishment of MHAST’s Supportive Crisis Stabilization Center (SCSC) in Broome County will help to address a critical gap in the behavioral health continuum across the Southern Tier economic region, and will offer an equitable, compassionate, and person-centered alternative to the emergency department for children and adults alike. MHAST is uniquely positioned to bring this critical resource to the region, and we anticipate seeing immediate benefit for our families and community partners,” shares Lauren Greco, Project Manager, Care Compass Collaborative.

“MHAST is thrilled to have been awarded funding to operate the center. There is a significant need for this service in our area and the program will support many individuals struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. We are excited to begin the next stages of this project; we look forward to working with community partners to make this new endeavor a success, and ultimately, to make a difference in the lives of so many,” shares Megan M. Crowe, Executive Director, Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier (MHAST).

“This center is a much-needed addition to the community, and we are thankful for the work and collaboration of everyone involved. MHAST is excited to introduce another program to our crisis service continuum, alongside the existing mobile crisis team and the crisis respite residential facility programs. We continue to be committed to reducing the gap in behavioral health and substance use disorder care,” shares Kaitlyn Andrews, Director of Operations, Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier (MHAST).

The SCSC will serve as a significant milestone in the development of a comprehensive crisis response system in the Southern Tier. MHAST is one of many grant recipients across New York State who will receive a combination of operational funds and state-aid to develop a crisis stabilization center. In total, the development of twelve (12) crisis stabilization centers are planned for New York State: three (3) in the New York City economic development region, and one (1) in each of the nine (9) upstate economic development regions, including the Southern Tier. According to OMH and OASAS, it is expected that the SCSCs will have executed contracts by the end of 2023, and be operational in 2024. All SCSCs will be jointly certified by the NYS Office of Mental Health and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports in accordance with Article 36 of the Mental Hygiene Law (MHL) and Title 14 NYCRR Part 600.[1] The development of the twelve (12) Supportive Crisis Stabilization Centers (SCSCs) across New York State is in addition to the development of twelve (12) Intensive Crisis Stabilization Centers (ICSCs) that were awarded in July 2022.[2]

Care Compass Collaborative (CCC) has been one of several integral partners that have collaborated with MHAST to support the development, writing, and submission of the grant application. Moving forward, CCC will provide project management support, as well as guidance from the regional Health Equity Council formed by Care Compass Network (CCN) in early 2022. The Health Equity Council guidance will help to ensure that the program remains sustainable and continually evolves to ensure that the most critical needs of the community are continuously addressed, and that disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for marginalized populations are eliminated through the incorporation of trauma-informed practices. This is a critical program that will greatly benefit Broome County and surrounding communities as it aims to address a systematic gap that exists in the continuum of care between mental health and substance use disorder providers and marginalized populations.

[1] https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/rfp/2022/scsc/scsc-rfp.pdf
[2] https://www.nyaprs.org/e-news-bulletins/2022/7/19/governor-announces-75-million-in-awards-to-develop-new-intensive-crisis-stabilization-centers