Community-based mobile response teams can successfully reach people experiencing a crisis who have been missed or failed by the system, or who are reluctant to engage – but to do so requires trust-building with local entities frequented by community members, ethically leveraging local resources, and rethinking awareness-building and engagement. Three webinars explore the essential role of mobile crisis response in bridging gaps in communities, and share ways for states to support local community partnering.
Webinar 1: Fostering Community Partnerships: How to (Re)build Trust and Create Strong Relationships
To provide an effective community-based intervention with historically underserved or poorly served communities, mobile teams must foster partnerships with trusted local resources and law enforcement. This webinar focuses on navigating community partnerships, including how to identify fruitful partnerships or overcome the challenges of existing relationships; ethically engaging local resources without exploitation; building effective protocols in the midst of competing interests; and being responsive to the needs of the community.
The communities of service members, Veterans, and their families (SMVF) experience high rates of suicide and often hold widespread mistrust in organizations due to fear of repercussions within rank, firearm removal, stigma, and providers’ lack of military cultural competence. Crisis teams can support SMVF by partnering with trusted community resources on awareness-building, education, and stabilization and intervention support. This webinar identifies techniques for mobile teams to make effective and robust connections within the community to both reach SMVF and make post-crisis referrals.
Webinar 3: Creative Solutions for Mobile Crisis Teams to Effectively Engage with Rural and Frontier Communities
With some estimates suggesting that farmer and rancher suicide rates are between a quarter and a third higher than those in other occupations, and with overall rates of suicide higher in rural settings than urban ones, it is vital that crisis teams engage effectively with rural and frontier communities. This session provides practical strategies for partnering with local entities, navigating stigma, building awareness, and overcoming service delivery barriers.
