Collaboration Closes Gaps in Emergency Response Services

The call to CHANCE (Communities Helping All Negotiate Change Effectively) came from an Albany Police officer. In June of 2022, a crew from the fire department responded to an unresponsive person in a vehicle. Two doses of Narcan had been administered. The person was recovering but not ready to be left alone.

Could CHANCE assist, freeing up 10 first responders for other emergencies?

The answer was yes, and the person was taken to CHANCE to stabilize under supervision.

Through CHANCE’s partnership with agencies in Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties, gaps in emergency response services have been identified and are being addressed by the Delivery System Transformation Committee of the InterCommunity Health Network Coordinated Care Organization.

CHANCE proposed a pilot program to train staff in crisis intervention and care coordination. In 2022, the Delivery System Transformation Committee funded the Peer Enhanced Emergency Response pilot.

The pilot program meets the needs of people experiencing a mental or physical health crisis, reducing emergency department use and avoiding unnecessary jail visits.

“We are creating a safer environment for people experiencing a crisis,” said Jon Phelps, who leads CHANCE’s Peer Crisis Team.

CHANCE trained peer wellness specialists in mental health first aid, de-escalation and crisis intervention and how to screen and make referrals based on the social determinants of health.

CHANCE’s Peer Crisis Team can meet Linn County’s mental health crisis team in the community to support their efforts in connecting people with support programs. So far, 15 peer action plans have been created. Additional action plans are being developed as CHANCE’s Peer Crisis Team gains more experience.

So far, demand has been higher than expected. On average, the Crisis Team receives a call every three days, although they’ve responded to as many as six calls in one day.

The pilot has strengthened CHANCE’s relationship with community partners, including Albany Police Department, Linn County Mental Health, Samaritan Albany General Hospital and Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. In some circumstances, the pilot has even prevented incarceration.

“We’ve been able to meet law enforcement at locations to de‑escalate situations and get people into the shelter as opposed to jail,” said Gary Dees, CRN, a drug and alcohol counselor with CHANCE. “Safety is the key. We are working with law enforcement to overcome these issues when we respond to calls, including safe transportation.”

One of the crisis calls resulted in a person getting into a recovery program after experiencing homelessness and being in and out of the emergency room after relapsing on alcohol. He was able to stay at CHANCE’s shelter and participate in support meetings and is now thriving.

Through the pilot, improvements were also made to the 2nd CHANCE Shelter to increase safety and comfort. Not only are more people using the space, but more than 80% of people who were referred for services were able to create personal action plans with the help of a wellness specialist.

“Without this, many people would endure incarceration, time in emergency health care and a lack of support moving forward,” said Dees. “We’ve seen an increase in interventions at the point of crisis and in the ability to resolve the situations and get people the resources they need.”

IHN-CCO and more than 70 community partners are improving health outcomes by creating programs and projects that improve local health care in Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties through transformation. Learn more at IHNTogether.org/Transforming-Health-Care. Learn more about CHANCE.