Direct Services Overview
General administration of publicly funded substance abuse, mental health, and mental retardation services in Mercer County is achieved through fiscal, information management and quality assurance functions within the Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission (MCBHC). Specific consumer services offered directly by MCBHC includes:
The Central Intake Unit is the point of contact for individuals seeking publicly funded drug and alcohol, mental health, and/or mental retardation services in Mercer County. The CIU is responsible for client screening, intake, assessment, level of care determination, and referral for services. The CIU provides 24-hour mental health emergency services seven days per week for individuals in need of crisis stabilization and/or emergency evaluation for psychiatric hospitalization.
Employees of the CIU monitor Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services in Mercer County. The Child and Adolescent Service System Program Coordinator (CASSP) is also located at the CIU to assist in the coordination of services for children and adolescents and their families.
Crisis Intervention/Emergency ServicesCentral Intake is responsible for providing 24-hour services for mental health crisis/emergency.
A crisis is an immediate stress-producing situation which causes acute problems of disturbed thought, behavior, mood or social relationships that requires immediate intervention.An emergency is a situation or condition which appears to threaten the life or well-being of the individual or others that requires immediate inpatient assessment and treatment.24-Hour Services include:
Immediate telephone interventionAssessmentScreeningDispositionReferralFollow-up serviceWhen the situation is warranted, mobile crisis intervention and delegate services are conducted at the site where the crisis is occurring.
CASSP (Child and Adolescent Service System Program) works to coordinate services to children and families through an integrated, multi-systems approach by engaging representatives of all service systems that are serving the child. CASSP monitors and improves the degree to which services are child-centered, family-focused, community-based, multi-system, culturally competent, and least restrictive / least intrusive.(BHRS) Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (Wraparound Programs)BHRS services are available in Mercer County for children and adolescents with an emotional disturbance and or mental illness. BHRS or "Wraparound" programs, are intended to provide intensive services to children and adolescents at home or in the community in order to prevent more restrictive placements. Two MCBHC Wraparound monitors participate in interagency service planning meeting to ensure that all mental health and other community-based options are explored for each client.
County designee staff of the MCBHC attended 1,692 Interagency Service Planning Team (ISPT) meetings in fiscal year 2006-2007. ISPT numbers reveal that meetings were held for 864 male and 430 female clients. The average age of children and adolescents receiving services was 11.05 years.
Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) is a multi-system response network that includes 47 trained crisis responders from various social service, educational and law enforcement resources in the Mercer County area. The team is also part of Pennsylvania Region 13, Metropolitan Medical Response System. CIRT participates in mock disaster drills in conjunction with the Mercer County Emergency Management Agency. In addition, a 26-member response group entitled "Helping Hands" has evolved from within the agency and serves as an additional component of CIRT. The Helping Hands provides non-clinical support in crisis situations. CIRT is available to meet the critical incident emergency mental health needs of the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Because of the volunteerism of this unique network there are no fees associated with the services provided by CIRT or Helping Hands. Responders participate on a voluntary basis and are only deployed to a scene when officially invited.