Lane County Mobile Crisis Service Ready to Launch
Brief information about Lane County’s new mobile crisis program, including services offered and how to call.
Lane County will launch the Lane County Mobile Crisis Services program on Sunday, aimed at helping people experiencing a mental health crisis.
A fleet of vans staffed by licensed professionals will be deployed throughout the county with the goal of bridging the gap between crisis moments and necessary supplies.
Here are some key details about the program, the services it aims to provide, who it serves, and how people can access those services if needed:
What is Lane County Mobile Crisis Service?
MSC-LC is a county government program designed to respond to adults with mental health issues. The county will provide six vans, each staffed by two people:
- A behavioral health supervisor with experience in behavioral health treatment.
- A peer support specialist who either has experience using addiction or mental health services or is a family member of someone who has used these services.
These employees provide:
- De-escalation of the crisis.
- Access to mental health professionals and other resources, including Narcan.
- Transfers and transports to higher care facilities.
- Follow-up examination within 72 hours.
Who does Lane County Mobile Crisis Services serve?
MCS-LC serves all adults in Lane County east of and including Walton. Children are served instead by Riverview Mobile Crisis. Adults west of Walton are served by Western Lane Crisis Response.
Lane County plans to station its six vans in four cities and two unincorporated communities: Eugene, Springfield, Junction City, Cottage Grove, Goshen and Walterville.
According to state regulations, Lane County aims for a response time of one hour in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area, two hours in most of the rest of the county, and three hours in the “border areas” east of the Blue River and in the northwestern part of the county outside the Western Lane Ambulance Service area.
How do I access Lane County Mobile Crisis Services?
If you are experiencing or witnessing a crisis, you have several options to contact MCS-LC:
- Call or text 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline.
- Call the Lane County Crisis Hotline at 541-682-1001.
- Call 911 or a police department. These individuals have also been trained to transfer to MCS-LC if that is the best service in the situation.
What are the hours of operation for Lane County Mobile Crisis Services?
For now, the service will be offered seven days a week from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Lane County is asking the state legislature for funds to extend the hours.
Where else is work being done on the mobile crisis?
While not without conflict, Arizona is considered a national leader in managing mobile crises and served as a model for many of the Oregon Health Authority’s new regulations.
The Oregon Health Authority has required all Oregon counties to establish a mobile crisis response service, and several other counties in the state have recently implemented similar programs.
What relationship will it have with CAHOOTS? With law enforcement?
Lane County officials compared their planned collaboration with CAHOOTS to that in Multnomah County. CAHOOTS will play the same role as Portland Street Response, responding to calls such as street assistance and “basic life support.” MCS-LC would focus on calls related to mental illness, like Project Respond in Multnomah.
MCS-LC will not enforce laws or combat crime, but will work with sheriff’s deputies and police.
Who pays for Lane County mobile crisis services?
The program is administered by the county but funded by the state (although the county believes the state underfunds it).
Lane County does not require payment from its users for the service, but will attempt to collect insurance payments. For those with private insurance, crisis responders will ask for, but not require, insurance information from those they serve.
Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or @alanfryetorres.
