Families First and Mental Health Association of Essex County Partner with BHSN and NAMI – Champlain Valley to Expand Mobile Crisis Response Team

Behavioral Health Services North, Inc. announced this month that phase two of their North Country Crisis Helpline initiative has launched with the expansion of its crisis helpline (1-866-577-3836) to serve Essex County by officially partnering with Families First and the Mental Health Association in Essex County. The recently established North Country Crisis Helpline (1-866-5PREVENT) has repurposed the Clinton County Suicide Hotline and will continue to provide support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

24 Hour Crisis Helpline – The North Country 24-hour Crisis Helpline (1-866-5PREVENT) often serves as the first point of contact for individuals who are seeking help, support, and information. The helpline is here to provide a safe, non-judgmental source of support for individuals in any type of crisis. In addition to our 24-hour crisis hotline, we also offer mobile crisis response teams that serve both Clinton and Essex Counties.

Crisis can affect anyone at any time. The need for emotional support or referral assistance is something most individuals encounter at some point in their lives. Staff, which are comprised of a multi-disciplinary team, are available and operate Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 8:00pm to help individuals discover the skills and resources that they uniquely possess which allow them to develop solutions to maximize self-sufficiency. “If people have the opportunity to talk while experiencing a crisis, the risk of harm to self or others is greatly diminished. Immediate support during a crisis has also been shown to greatly reduce occurrences of abuse and neglect.” Said Chris Arnold, Coordinator of Crisis Management for BHSN. “The North Country Crisis Helpline is an anonymous and confidential service that is free and available to anyone at any time in need of assistance. During times of crisis, people often feel more comfortable talking to someone they don’t know, enabling them to discuss feelings and concerns in a way that may differ from talking with friends and family members. It also feels really good to have support from our community partners such as the Foundation of CVPH.”

How to Get Help?

Clinton and Essex County residents can begin to find help from qualified professionals by:

• Contacting your family physician.
• Calling 1-866-5PREVENT (1-866-577-3836) to speak with a member of the North Country Crisis Helpline.

If you would like more information about the mobile crisis response teams, or to talk with someone, you can contact us at:

Clinton County

Chris Arnold, Coordinator of Crisis Services, Behavioral Health Services North, Inc., 17A Wells St., Plattsburgh, NY 12901 (518) 324-2156

Essex County

Shelby Davis, Mobile Crisis Facilitator, Mental Health Association of Essex County, Inc., 6096 NYS Route 9N, Westport, NY 12993 (518) 962-2077

About Behavioral Health Services North, Inc.

Behavioral Health Services North, Inc. is a private, not-for profit organization and a regional leader in the provision of health services, including behavioral health, in the northernmost area of NY State. Through our 23 programs and in partnership with other regional health care providers and community-based organizations we work to improve care, strengthen individuals, families and community life by delivering health care and human services and systems that provide an integrated continuum of essential, responsive and cost-effective care.

Learn more at BHSN.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.