Mobile Crisis Outreach
When a service provider, medical professional, employer, family member, friend or individual believes a situation would benefit from on-site crisis intervention, they can call (319) 362-2174 to discuss Mobile Crisis Outreach with Foundation 2 staff. MCO runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. MCO is staffed by a full-time program counselor and several on-call team members.
Mobile Crisis Outreach team members are trained professionals holding either a master's level or bachelor's level degree in the social services field. Team members undergo intensive training in counseling and crisis intervention skills and their application to a wide variety of situations.
How Does MCO Work?
The team will respond within one hour of receiving a request (adverse weather conditions may delay response time). Private environments, like a person's home, require two team members; in public locations like schools, businesses or hospitals, either one or two team members will be sent. Upon arrival, team members will:
- Assess the situation
- Attempt to stabilize and diffuse the crisis
- Provide counseling as needed
- Provide referrals to other Foundation 2 or community resources
Within 24 hours a MCO team member will make a follow-up call with the client to check on the client's well-being.
What Situations Will MCO Respond To?
Mobile Crisis Outreach is intended for situations where clients would benefit more from a face-to-face meeting than from a call to the Foundation 2 crisis hotline. Those situations could include:
- Checking on an individual's safety or well-being
- Diffusing an emotional crisis
- Dealing with a family crisis or situation involving more than one person
- Assessing an individual in danger of attempting suicide
Are There Any Situations To Which MCO Will Not Respond?
Yes, for the safety of team members and the public, we are unable to respond to situations in which the client is impaired by drugs/alcohol, client requires medical rescue, or in situations involving firearms. MCO also cannot respond to calls outside of Linn County. However, the 24-hour Foundation 2 crisis hotline is available to anyone, in any situation. Call 362-2174 in the Cedar Rapids local calling area, 1-800-332-4224 throughout the rest of the state.
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