Mental health crisis response program launches in Ames


Mental health crisis response program launches in Ames

Calls to 911 in Ames could now connect residents to mental health needs providers. It’s all thanks to a new pilot program called ARCH, with stands for Alternative Response for Community Health. ARCH is a joint partnership between Mary Greeley Medical Center, Ames Police Department, and Iowa State University Police Department. It pairs an EMS provider with a social worker, as they respond to calls that don’t require a police presence. “We want to kind of help turn down the crisis in a way that’s calming and soothing,” said Nick Toornstra, an EMS supervisor with Mary Greeley Medical Center. Toornstra is the EMS who will be paired with a social worker during the pilot program’s first six months. They will work five days a week, for a total of 40 hours. The hope is that following the pilot program’s six months, data will show that there is definitely a need and the ARCH team can grow and be 24/7. “Our job as EMS is just to assess the patient for any immediate medical needs they have and make sure they don’t maybe need an ambulance and then the social worker kind of takes it from there,” Toornstra said.The social worker will help connect people with local resources.ARCH is funded by grants. In addition to helping 911 callers, the hope is to alleviate some of what police officers have to respond to. “Like the Ames police chief said, they’re are great problem solvers, but at the same time they’re called for a lot of different things,” Toornstra said.Here’s how it works: people dial 911 as usual. Dispatchers at the call center will triage those calls and reach out to the ARCH team if needed. “We’re just trying to find better ways to help service people with mental health needs and homelessness and other crisis they encounter,” Toornstra said.In its first, ARCH has responded to six calls. With six months left in the pilot program, they hope to respond to make more and point people in the right direction.

Calls to 911 in Ames could now connect residents to mental health needs providers. It’s all thanks to a new pilot program called ARCH, with stands for Alternative Response for Community Health.

ARCH is a joint partnership between Mary Greeley Medical Center, Ames Police Department, and Iowa State University Police Department. It pairs an EMS provider with a social worker, as they respond to calls that don’t require a police presence.

“We want to kind of help turn down the crisis in a way that’s calming and soothing,” said Nick Toornstra, an EMS supervisor with Mary Greeley Medical Center.

Toornstra is the EMS who will be paired with a social worker during the pilot program’s first six months. They will work five days a week, for a total of 40 hours. The hope is that following the pilot program’s six months, data will show that there is definitely a need and the ARCH team can grow and be 24/7.

“Our job as EMS is just to assess the patient for any immediate medical needs they have and make sure they don’t maybe need an ambulance and then the social worker kind of takes it from there,” Toornstra said.

The social worker will help connect people with local resources.

ARCH is funded by grants. In addition to helping 911 callers, the hope is to alleviate some of what police officers have to respond to.

“Like the Ames police chief said, they’re [police] are great problem solvers, but at the same time they’re called for a lot of different things,” Toornstra said.

Here’s how it works: people dial 911 as usual. Dispatchers at the call center will triage those calls and reach out to the ARCH team if needed.

“We’re just trying to find better ways to help service people with mental health needs and homelessness and other crisis they encounter,” Toornstra said.

In its first, ARCH has responded to six calls. With six months left in the pilot program, they hope to respond to make more and point people in the right direction.


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