New Crisis Response Team Will Support First Responders Across 6 Counties

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — A Community Crisis Response Team is now available in Southeast Ohio.

Thanks to a state grant, the region now has a dedicated team to respond to community-wide mental health emergencies.

“The mental health board got a grant from the state this year to implement a community crisis response team. The whole goal of that team is to be able to create a behavioral health response in the event of a community crisis event. Bad accidents, natural disasters, a school event unfortunately,” said Jamie McGrew, director of community outreach and programming for the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.

The team is designed to work alongside first responders, helping relieve them of the emotional and mental toll that can come with responding to crisis situations.

“Too often our first responders are on scene having to do the whole gamut. They’re having to save these lives; they’re also having to worry about the emotional support of people on scene. This team allows that to come out of their equation. We are responsible for that. We’re gonna support those people, make sure they get the services they need, connect them to where they need to be connected and allow our first responders to do their job,” McGrew said.

The Community Crisis Response Team will serve all six counties within the board’s region—Coshocton, Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, and Perry. Each county has trained professionals ready to respond.

If you’re interested in joining the response team or want to learn more, visit the Mental Health & Recovery Services website.