Can better online information for mental health crisis care help people avoid 911, ERs?

[MinnPost, June 26, 2023] Too often, when a person is in the midst of a mental health crisis, they or their loved ones end up calling 911 or driving to an emergency room.

While there’s no question a mental health crisis can feel like it calls for emergency action, a coalition of health systems, law enforcement organizations, government agencies and advocacy groups known as the East Metro Crisis Alliance want people in their part of the state to know about the many other support options that can be much more helpful and appropriate than calling in emergency responders.

To get this message across, the alliance has developed a new comprehensive website, one of the nation’s first consumer-focused online resources for people in mental health crisis.

Joe Clubb, vice president of operations for mental health and addiction at Allina Health, said the site couldn’t come at a better time. A rising number of people experiencing mental health crisis in the state means that traditional emergency responders are feeling overwhelmed, he said, and helping people find the most appropriate assistance for their mental health concerns just might help keep the system running a bit more smoothly.

Read the full story online at www.minnpost.com.