County approves funding for mobile crisis services
Oct. 15—The Otsego County Board of Representatives allocated funding for a mobile crisis assessment team Wednesday, Oct. 2.
The board allocated $754,067 for the Neighborhood Center, Inc. and its Mobile Crisis Assessment Team, based out of Utica, which serves Otsego, Chenango, Delaware and Schoharie counties, according to the resolution.
MCAT is a 24-hour crisis intervention service for children and adults that provides care either face-to-face or virtually. A main service provided is a 988-hotline number.
The phone number is for anyone seeking assistance in the four counties regarding mental health issues, including suicide. MCAT's team provides counseling, support and transportation at no cost. The Neighborhood Center and MCAT team is nationally accredited through the American Association of Suicidology, according to its website.
"The Neighborhood Center does great work and helps us here in Oneonta," Shari Stallone, Rehabilitation Support Services senior program coordinator, said Tuesday, Oct. 15. "The mobile crisis center benefits all of us in each county, including RSS."
Stallone said the funding supports many organizations in the four counties and provides services and information if someone calls the 988 hotline, including for those who may need immediate assistance to be taken to a hospital.
"The services also provide someone to talk or find out more information before there's some sort of emergency as well," she said. "Sometimes, someone may call and need to find out about information for next steps for their family or someone they know, and they don't necessarily have to be in a crisis situation."
The difference with some of the services of the Neighborhood Center's work is the 988 hotline. Instead of calling 911 for help, which alerts police or fire departments, the 988 number connects directly to a mental health care provider, which saves resources and time, Stallone said.
The county recommended a one-year contract for the Neighborhood Center's MCAT for the four counties running Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2026.
The cost for MCAT services is not to exceed the aid amount of money provided by the state for 2025, according to the resolution.
The Neighborhood Center agrees to maintain malpractice and professional liability insurance during the term of the contract. The funding for the crisis services is funded 100% by the state and are to be continued in a similar budget line in 2026, according to the resolution.
