Instead of directing frontline workers to shreds, Uplift wants to focus on pooling the resources of counselors, psychiatric professionals and other community members.
LEXINGTON, SC – For Lexington County, Monday marked a shift in approach to sanity.
They call it Uplift Lexington County.
“Mental health cases have increased dramatically. Calls have increased, Mobile Crisis Unit response has increased, ER visits have increased, so we recognize that these are putting more pressure on first responders and healthcare workers,” said Macey Silano, project manager at Uplift County of Lexington.
Instead of directing frontline workers to shreds, Uplift wants to focus on pooling the resources of counselors, psychiatric professionals and other community members.
This is so they can defuse situations earlier and push for proactive care.
“So instead of waiting for the person to be in crisis and the EMS to be there or the mobile crisis to be there, we’ll then follow up later and get out and then try to engage that person in a treatment so that in the longer term they don’t need as many emergency services and ultimately improve their quality of life,” said Sarah Main, executive director of the Lexington County Community Mental Health Center. .
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Previously, emergency service providers would refer a patient to a mental health resource and the patient would not follow up.
The organizers tell me that they have already started with their grant of $980,000 over the next 3 years.
They’re launching first responder surveys, they’re creating a resource guide on where to get help, they’ve embedded a mental health professional in the sheriff’s office and in Lexington EMS.
“One of the things that’s hoped for is that the various partners see so much value because the grant started it, that they’re really willing to invest some of their own resources to sustain it,” said Abraham Wandersman, president of Wandersman. Center.
Going forward, the group plans to have quarterly meetings to review what’s going well, what’s not, and new approaches to solutions.
The group will also update the resource guide quarterly.
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