Alta a Part of Rapid-Response Mobile Crisis Team for Schools

Alta Behavioral Healthcare is partnering with Meridian Healthcare on a new initiative, Ensuring Action For Students in Emergency (EASE).

EASE is a rapid-response, mobile crisis team that provides screening to youth in emotional distress. Licensed counselors from this team will screen youth in their school settings at the request of the school staff and/or their parents or guardians. The team provides rapid response (within one hour, Monday-Friday 9 am–2 pm) when a Mahoning County school requests assistance due to one of the following:

• Student voicing suicidal ideations
• Student in significant emotional distress (not acting out behaviorally)
• Student observed with recent/fresh wounds from suspected self-harm
• Student experiencing an acute trauma (e.g., sudden loss of a loved one)

The team is composed of staff from Alta Behavioral Healthcare and Meridian Healthcare, both non-profit 501(c)(3), nationally accredited, and preferred providers of care in Mahoning County’s Preferred Care Network. This project was developed with the input and support of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board.

Alta and Meridian both have over 40 years of service to the Mahoning Valley. While Alta has traditionally focused on mental health and Meridian has traditionally focused on substance use/abuse, together this partnership provides a comprehensive and fast-responding service that could potentially be available county-wide.