Rural Networking in Ohio

Nancy J. Stephani, LISW Emergency Services Director

Century Health,

Findlay, Ohio

419-425-5050

Jon McKanna, LPC, LSW, Executive Director,

Pathways,

Ottawa, Ohio

Each county in Ohio is responsible for providing Crisis Intervention and Pre-hospital screening for persons presenting in need of emergency mental health and substance abuse services. Persons served in Northwest Ohio are covered by a variety of counties and the safety net intended to be in place is frequently difficult at best. Over a year ago, coordinators of emergency services from the county Community Mental Health Centers began meeting and sharing information in an effort to develop a more collaborative working style. Each county is required to provide crisis intervention, pre-hospital screening and hotline services. Some do this through contracting with larger multi-county agencies, others provide them in house and still other counties utilize a combination of local and contracted services.

This workshop will review several counties protocols for providing hotline services, pre-screening services and crisis intervention services. Common difficulties have been the financial drain on the counties of hospitalization of indigent clients and utilization of the state hospital system. By sharing information and procedures in the regional setting a parallel system is beginning to emerge in the counties. Transportation of psychiatric patients is difficult in rural Ohio, with law enforcement frequently bearing the responsibility with varying success. Education of law enforcement is a future goal of the regional Emergency Services group.

Northwest Ohio continues to be challenged with critical incidents that stress the abilities of small rural first responder systems that are frequently voluntary. A regional Basic CISM was provided recently, supported by the rural emergency service coordinators and over 80 persons were trained in the CISM model. This model has been applied in many settings since then with great success. Two persons trained also received additional training through local grant monies and have been involved in sonic national disaster response teams. Contact has been made with county emergency management officers, local school systems, volunteer and professional fire departments, EMS and hospital emergency room personnel, many of whom participated in the CISM training. Regional plans hope to offer a national training in the next year or so.

One county in the rural networking group is offering training in the Duluth Model for Domestic Violence Treatment. Sponsored by one county and offered in another, it is expected that persons from a variety of counties and organizations will participate in this nationally renowned model for working with families devastated by domestic violence.

Psychiatric emergencies presenting in our respective counties share some common themes and resolution of difficulties has been greatly assisted in sharing information on procedures and resources. Establishing county of residency is frequently difficult to determine and yet critical for optimum care in our system. Shared information has included updated lists of county crisis contact numbers and hotlines, state trainings that are often announced at the last minute and not known to all in the group, screening tools and new publications, such as the new book on suicide assessment put out by Harvard.

Sharing of information and tools has been extremely beneficial In breaking down barriers for clients and professionals, assisting us all in reaching out to provide timely and necessary care to those most in need of our services.