Access Crisis Intervention (ACI)
24-Hour Crisis Hotline:
1-800-356-5395
Access Crisis Intervention (ACI) offers services aimed at the assessment and immediate stabilization of acute symptoms of mental illness and emotional distress. Crisis intervention services consist of mobile response, face-to-face assessment, and telephone interventions. All crisis efforts are aimed at stabilization to divert inpatient placements when possible. Individuals are provided crisis services without regard to race, creed, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.
ACI services are offered in Service Area 19, which includes the following seven (7) counties: Dunklin, Pemiscot, Butler, Carter, Wayne, Reynolds, and Ripley. FCC Behavioral Health is certified by the Division of Behavioral Health (DBH). ACI services adhere to DBH standards of treatment.
All ACI team members are Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHP) who have received specialized training in crisis intervention. ACI team members are available 24-hours a day seven (7) days a week, either in-office or by cell phone, on a rotating basis. In the event of an ACI team member’s absence, a backup ACI team member will be utilized to ensure coverage.
The ACI team may be accessed 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday through Thursday and 8:00 am – 3:00 pm, on Friday, either directly by walk-in to FCC Behavioral Health, telephone contact, or by referral. An ACI team member is available between the hours of 6:00 pm – 8:00 am Monday through Friday and on weekends via cell phone or through the crisis hotline (BHR-Behavioral Health Response). The ACI team will respond to each crisis immediately (no later than 10 minutes) or within one (1) hour when utilizing a mobile response.
Person(s)-served by the ACI team are referred by a variety of sources to include, but not limited to the following: self and family; Department of Family Services (DFS); Department of Youth Services (DYS); Department of Corrections (DOC); Division of Aging; Intensive Residential Treatment Services programs; public housing; general public; law enforcement; juvenile courts; schools; hospitals; residential care facilities; physicians; private practitioners; local community agencies; and other community mental health centers.
Information regarding ACI services is distributed to the public through printed FCC brochures and free materials and handouts distributed to community agencies. Speaking engagements and community trainings are provided upon request. Information about ACI services can also be located on the FCC website, fccinc.org and on appointment cards. The ACI team partners with other programs within FCC Behavioral Health to ensure information is provided about crisis intervention services through Community Advisory Board meetings.
ACI services are funded via a contract with Missouri Department of Mental Health/Division of Behavioral Health. FCC Behavioral Health provides each person(s)-served with a business card which includes the toll-free crisis hotline number. FCC Behavioral Health also provides an after-hours recording that instructs those who are calling for crisis services to call the toll-free hotline number.
Consumer Presentation
Those in need of crisis services can present to FCC Behavioral Health (FCC) in the following ways:
- Referral
- Telephone Contact (Self or Family Member/Other)
- Walk-In
- Behavioral Health Response (BHR)
When an individual presents to FCC via a referral, telephone contact (self or family member/other), or walk-in, a QMHP will administer a mental health screening to determine the level of need/risk. If the person is in crisis, the ACI team member will provide an immediate intervention to ensure stabilization. If the individual is not in crisis, the ACI team member will address any needs identified, provide resources, and make referrals as appropriate.
As mentioned above, a person can present to FCC via the utilization of the Behavioral Health Response (BHR). FCC maintains a published, centralized, 24-hour staffed toll-free hotline number (1-800-356-5395) that provides a direct means of crisis assessment for persons in crisis, their families, and agencies needing assistance. The BHR telephone crisis line is the primary means for crisis assessment and referral to appropriate community resources and activation of crisis intervention services provided by regional administrative agents.
When an individual contacts the toll-free hotline number, BHR will attempt to resolve the issue via a telephone intervention; however, in the event an issue cannot be resolved in this manner, BHR will transfer the caller to an Access Crisis Intervention (ACI) team member at Family Counseling Center (FCC). BHR will do so via a conference call and will not end the telephone call until a connection has been established. If contacting additional staff from a specialized program is necessary, BHR will contact the ACI team member on call who will contact the specialized staff. Each team member will remain in contact with the caller until a warm transfer has occurred. The phone contact will be documented on the crisis contact note and will include the following: (1) Name, (2) Location of Caller, (3) Phone Number, (4) Age or Date of Birth, and (5) Presenting Problem.
In the event, a resident of our service area (S.A. 19) presents for services in another service area, the administrative agency may authorize service provision by the crisis response team responsible for serving the geographic area in which the caller presents. In this situation, the ACI team member staffing the BHR telephone call shall coordinate linkage between the two administrative agents by providing each of the agencies with appropriate documentation.
When an individual presents to FCC via BHR (between the hours of 8:00 am and 6:00 pm), the call is immediately transferred to an available, in-office ACI team member for review. Once an individual is determined to be in crisis, an ACI team member will implement an intervention to promote stabilization. If an individual is not in crisis, the ACI team member will address needs, provide resources, and make referrals as appropriate.
BHR presentations that occur after hours will be transferred to the on-call ACI team member. BHR has each ACI team member’s updated contact information on file and will utilize the ACI team member’s work/personal cell phone for contact. An on-call schedule is developed monthly and forwarded to BHR. The ACI team member shall respond to the call within 10 minutes. In the event, an ACI team member cannot be reached; BHR will contact the Crisis Coordinator. Any BHR clinical documentation will be emailed to FCC by 8:00 am the following day.
An answering machine will be turned on at each site after normal working hours. A caller who contacts FCC will be instructed to contact the toll-free hotline number if in crisis. A call received from the crisis line will never be transferred to a recorded message.
In the event an individual calls BHR and relays a situation considered life-threatening, BHR will immediately notify local law enforcement, ambulance, and/or other emergency personnel for assistance. BHR will remain on the line until assistance arrives. In the event of an emergency, BHR staff will do the following:
- Direct the caller to the nearest emergency room.
- Will notify Family Counseling Center’s on-call ACI team member of the disposition immediately following arrival of the emergency assistance personnel.
- Will email all clinical documentation of the contact to FCC by 8:00 am the following day.
Regardless of how the person(s)-served in crisis presents to FCC, the ACI team member will do the following:
- Complete a crisis note for all calls requesting crisis services/intervention. This note shall obtain sufficient information to determine the needs of the person and how to best address the identified needs. This note shall be completed within 48-hours of service delivery.
- Obtain the person’s demographic information. This information may be provided by the person, family, BHR staff, or referral source.
- Attempt to determine if the person is actively in services with FCC, new to services, or has a closed chart from previous treatment. If the person is a FCC person(s)-served, the person-centered care plan will be reviewed.
- If the person has an active chart, the ACI team member should investigate to determine if the person has an active Care Coordinator.
- FCC will meet the confidentiality requirements as defined in 9CSR 10-7.030.
- FCC will retain ACI documentation for a minimum of five (5) years.
ERE (Emergency Room Enhancement)
Offers term stabilization services for those in crisis by addressing immediate needs, enhancing overall functioning, and reducing psychiatric hospitalizations.
Offers crisis intervention services 24-hours a day. The Crisis Therapist and Intensive Care Coordinators provide the following forms of crisis response: mobile response, walk-in services, face-to-face intervention, and telephone response.
The program also offers intensive case management services. The Intensive Care Coordinator (ICC) coordinates care for the person(s)-served by addressing behavioral/physical health and basic needs. Intensive Care Coordination services, which consist of specific activities in collaboration with the person(s)-served, are delivered in accordance with the person-centered care plan. The Crisis Therapist and Intensive Care Coordinators work closely with the treatment team and make referrals to appropriate services.
The Crisis Therapist provides outreach in the community in effort to meet the needs of those in crisis.
Missouri's Community Mental Health Liaison
Effective July 1, 2013, Community Mental Health Liaison (CMHL) positions have been created by the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The goal of the initiative is to form better community partnerships with the crisis systems. law enforcment agencies and the courts to best utilize existing resources and improve access to behavioral health services and supports.
Your Community Mental Health Liaison Can Help You:
- Answer general questions about mental health issues, diagnosis and treatment.
- Connect people with needed treatments and supports.
- Assist Law Enforcement and courts in locating inpatient psychiatric beds for involuntary commitments.
- Facilitate access to behavioral health services.
- Identify and address structural barriers, miscommunications and consistent patterns that reduce access to behavioral health services.
- Provide or coordinate trainings on mental health issues, civil commitment, Mental Health First Aid, suicide prevention and guardianship process.
- Collaborate with Mental Health, Treatment and Veterans Courts, as well as other specialty courts as needed.
- Participate in meetings for other court initiative (JDAI, COYI).
- Participate or assist in development of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) or other initiatives that assist law enforcement in dealing with individuals with behavioral health needs.
Serving: Pemiscot, Dunklin, Butler, Ripley, Carter, Reynolds and Wayne Counties
CMHL CONTACT
Eric Snipes
To provide you with the best possible assistance, we need to speak with you directly on the phone. By talking with you anonymously and confidentially, we are best able to find out the specifics of your situation and work with you to find effective answers. We are not equipped to respond to crisis oriented emails.
24-Hour Crisis Hotline:
1-800-356-5395
Program Director
Dana Maxwell
Clinical Team Leader
Jaclyn Uselton