Mobile Mental Health Program

The City of Kingston, in conjunction with Ulster County and Access: Supports for Living, has launched a Mobile Mental Health pilot project, starting on Monday, February 6, 2023.

The first of its kind in upstate New York and one of only a few in the country, the program pairs a mental healthcare specialist with a Kingston Fire Department Emergency Medical Technician to staff a mobile response unit. The team has a dedicated ambulance and provides person-centric crisis response to mental health emergency calls. The team works weekdays from 10:00am to 6:00pm, and responds within the City of Kingston.

Ulster County 911 has a dedicated mental health dispatcher to provide immediate assistance, and Kingston Police Department dispatchers have been trained to direct mental health calls to the crisis team, and are not answered by law enforcement. In addition to the Mobile Mental Health team, the entire Fire Department has been trained with initial Crisis Intervention Training for Law Enforcement. Additional longer-form training is planned.

The program is showing great promise. In its first month (February 2023), the programs served 25 people (19 adults and 6 juveniles), and diverted 7 patients from being transported to Health Alliance Hospital. In March, they served 17 adults and 2 juveniles, while also diverting 14 patients from being transported to the Hospital.

This innovative initiative is in direct response to the community. In 2021, the City of Kingston’s Re-envision Public Safety Task Force spent weeks looking closely at local law enforcement practices and procedures, then provided a detailed report for improving police/community relations. A mental health crisis response was among the top recommendations.

The Mobile Mental Health pilot project was funded by the Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC), represented by the Office of Community Renewal, through May 2023, and will continue with ARPA funds.

If you, or someone you know, is in crisis, call 911, KPD dispatch at 845-331-1671, or the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by texting 988 or chatting at 988lifeline.org.