Pictured from L to R: Lupe Valtierra, Dr. Karen Bishop Morris, Amy Roukie, Ashlee Tipton, Colleen Ramquist, Carol Cody, Bernard Carter, Dr. Sharon Johnson Shirley, Dr. Danita Johnson Woods, Rep. Vernon Smith, U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan (D-Highland), Mayor Eddie Melton, and Dr. Geri Browning.
Edgewater Health announced an expanded continuum of care for residents in the throes of a crisis. The Crisis Relief Hub launched at a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at Edgewater Health’s Rapid Access Center (RAC), 4747 W. 24th Avenue, Gary, IN, on Monday, September 30, 2024. Dr. Danita Johnson Woods, President and CEO, greeted guests including Edgewater Health Board Chair and Superintendent of Lake Ridge New Tech Schools Dr. Sharon Johnson Shirley, U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan (D-Highland), Lake County Prosecutor and Edgewater Health Board Member Bernard Carter, City of Gary Mayor Eddie Melton, and representatives from the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration (IN FSSA) and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). “The Crisis Relief Hub consists of three pillars: 1) 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; 2) Mobile Crisis Response; and 3) Crisis Stabilization Services, and it relies on community collaboration and resources to respond to crises, as well as to prevent them,” Dr. Johnson said.
Dr. Johnson Woods shared that Edgewater Health is now a Designated Mobile Crisis Team provider in Indiana. That means calls routed through the state’s 988 call center to Edgewater Health will connect to their team of certified clinicians and peer response specialists who can then be dispatched to assist individuals demonstrating suicidal ideation, symptoms of extreme anxiety and depression, or other mental health issues. “For 50 years Edgewater Health has been providing behavioral health services to this community. With the purchase of two new vans, we are proud to be able to now offer mobile response, to go out and provide support to people in crisis, to meet them where they are and when they need it most.” Mayor Eddie Melton echoed the importance of these services, stating that we are all “one blink away from a crisis.” Mayor Melton went on to address the past hurts and trauma that many have experienced that can trigger episodes that demand a crisis response.
From IN FSSA and DMHA, Edgewater received a grant of nearly $5.9M for its Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Services program. Crisis stabilization means that adults experiencing a psychotic episode have options beyond the emergency room or a jail cell to manage their situation. Edgewater’s Rapid Access Center, established in 2015 and at the time the first of its kind in the state of Indiana, delivers medical evaluation, subacute stabilization, medically supervised withdrawal management, and more, for immediate and compassionate care.
U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan (D-Highland) praised the hub as a symbol of hope for those struggling with addiction. “Nearly every family has someone who is struggling with addiction or mental health, my own family included. We felt hopeless and did not know where to turn,” Mrvan shared, “and now they’re no longer with us and they left three children behind.”
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter highlighted the need for more support for those suffering from addiction and mental illness and stressed the fact that law enforcement cannot be expected to go it alone. “The statistics say roughly 44% of people in local jails have been diagnosed with a mental disorder; I am not sure that it is not closer to 50%. We know that an overwhelming majority of people in our jails and prisons have been diagnosed with a mental disorder, and at least a third of those have not received any treatment,” Carter said. “We must work together to de-escalate these situations and to destigmatize mental illness. Edgewater’s Crisis Relief Hub allows law enforcement and the community to work together to help people when they need it most.”
Dr. Sharon Johnson Shirley summed up the significance of the hub, “988, mobile crisis response and the RAC – these are resources we can all take pride in, but just know that continued success depends on each and every one of us – EMTs, law enforcement, hospital personnel, social service agencies. We all have a role to play to ensure the health and safety of our community.”
Call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for immediate, confidential counseling, referrals, and information on long-term care. We offer call and text support, including Spanish-speaking counselors.
For more information about Edgewater Health, visit www.edgewaterhealth.org.