Elko, NV August 16, 2023
A pilot program from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) is now available to provide free help to youth experiencing a mental health crisis in the Elko area.
Funded through federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, this program includes two teams that started work in April to bring supports and resources to families and youth in need.
“This is such a wonderful opportunity for the Elko community to be able to pilot in-person crisis services for youth and families,” said Michelle Sandoval, program manager for the Rural Mobile Crisis Response Team (RMCRT). “Every member of the team is specially trained in responding to youth crisis. If the pilot program is successful in Elko the hope is to expand in-person crisis response to more rural communities across Nevada.”
The teams consist of a psychiatric case worker and a consumer service assistant to connect families to resources while also providing peer support by bringing expertise based on their own experience parenting children or youth with social, emotional, behavioral, or substance use challenges. The team also coordinates virtual sessions with a licensed mental health professional who provides counseling for the youth.
Since the program started in April, the teams have supported several families in the Elko area. One family stated they were “grateful the program had people that could come out and talk to us in person.”
Ruben Trujillo, a psychiatric case worker with the new in-person teams, said, “Being able to meet with a family in person has been so valuable in helping youth and families during a crisis. We can wrap the family with support and stay with them until they are connected to resources.”
One goal of the program is to reduce emergency department visits, when appropriate, and keep Nevada youth united with their family while working through a crisis. Other goals are to facilitate short-term in-patient psychiatric hospitalization when necessary for youth in the Elko, Spring Creek and surrounding areas.
“With this program, a crisis is defined by the family so it doesn’t have to be just suicidal or homicidal symptoms,” Sandoval added.
RMCRT supports youth and families of youth under the age of 18 showing signs of behavioral or mental health issues that pose a threat to the child’s stability within their home, school or community, including anger, self-injury, school problems, suicidal or homicidal thoughts or behavior, extreme parent/child conflict, peer conflict such as bullying, seeing or hearing things, or depression/anxiety.
For more information about the Statewide Mobile Crisis Response Teams visit www.knowcrisis.com. To access the RMCRT hotline, including the in-person Elko Teams, call 702-486-7865.