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Jefferson and Lewis County Agencies Partner to
Improve Mental Health and Substance Abuse Crisis with 24/7 Hotline for
Individuals in Immediate Need
Published: July 18, 2025 at
01:30 p.m.
By: Press Release
from Mobile Crisis Hotline
  
24/7 Crisis Hotline Bridges Service Gaps for
Individuals in Immediate Need
Jefferson and Lewis County agencies partner to improve mental health
and substance abuse crisis
 WATERTOWN, NY - Individuals in
Jefferson and Lewis Counties who are experiencing a mental health or
addiction crisis have a more robust, local resource available through
immediate mobile crisis support.
Anyone in
immediate mental health or substance abuse crisis can call 315-782-2327 or
315-405-0696.
Launched July 1,
any resident of the two counties who is in immediate mental health or
substance abuse crisis can get help with a phone call to the Mobile Crisis
Hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This 24-hour hotline routes to the
Children’s Home of Jefferson County (CHJC) Community Clinic, which staffs trained professionals dedicated to providing
immediate crisis support and help with managing crises. Local providers
will also coordinate in-person support, if needed, where they will partner
with local emergency personnel to de-escalate crises and provide the
necessary resources for ongoing care.
The Children’s
Home of Jefferson County (CHJC) has been supporting the community since
1859. While they began with a focus on child welfare services, CHJC
recognized the needs of the Northern New York community
and has grown to serve adults and families across Jefferson and Lewis
Counties. CHJC had offered crisis telephonic services for many years,
Monday through Friday. Now, these services have been able to extend to 7
days a week, 24 hours a day, with the support of Jefferson and Lewis County
Departments of Community Services, to include in-person crisis response and
crisis follow-up services across both Counties. The crisis response
professionals will help de-escalate situations, provide immediate mental
health support, and connect individuals to appropriate community-based
care. Support will remain post-crisis to ensure
community members are connected to the necessary resources to continue
their journey toward healing.
To promote these
services, both Counties have adopted the "You Are Not Alone
Campaign" to encourage the use of local hotline numbers. In addition,
each County is working with its County Emergency Dispatch to identify
opportunities to integrate the Mobile Crisis Team into 911 mental health
responses.
“These new
services have created a powerful shift in how our communities address
mental health emergencies. We have seen partnerships grow between law
enforcement and behavioral health providers built on mutual respect, shared
goals, and a commitment to public safety. Together, we’re creating a more
compassionate and effective response that meets people where they are, with
the right support, at the right time,” said Lewis County Community Services
Director Anna Platz.
This initiative
is the result of data-informed collaboration and planning between 911
dispatch centers, law enforcement agencies, county organizations, community-based
organizations, and behavioral health organizations. By working together,
these partners are creating a more coordinated and effective response to
behavioral health crises.
“The partnerships
between Jefferson and Lewis Counties, along with local emergency personnel
and law enforcement, mark a major step forward in how mental health crises
are handled in the North Country,” said Michelle L. Monnat, LMHC, President
and CEO of the Children’s Home of Jefferson County. The new bi-county
Mobile Crisis Program will offer a significant enhancement over traditional
crisis hotlines by providing direct access to real-time, in-person mobile
crisis response teams.”
Monnat explained
that while previous services primarily offered phone-based support or
referrals; the new program allows a team consisting of a trained mental
health professional and peer advocate to be dispatched to the individual’s
location—whether at home, in the community, or at a public setting—to
provide immediate, on-site assessment, stabilization, and support.
“This integrated approach
ensures a more personalized and effective intervention, prioritizing timely
care and connection to long-term support to reduce reliance on emergency
departments and law enforcement, and bridging service gaps by connecting
individuals directly to appropriate follow-up care and community resources,”
said Tim Ruetten, Director of Community Services for Jefferson County.
The Office of
Mental Health (OMH) provided start-up funding to support each county in
launching these expanded crisis services. Jefferson and Lewis Counties have
been working with the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization
(FDRHPO) to develop a data-informed, collaborative Bi-County Implementation
and Outreach Plan for the Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis System. The
initiative is designed to become financially sustainable over time,
primarily through billing insurers. By collaborating, the two counties have
created a more streamlined and efficient approach, delivering a unified
message about the availability of crisis support and strengthening access
to care across the region. By working together across county lines and with
first responders, the program creates a more unified, coordinated system of
care. Residents will benefit from faster, more appropriate responses during
a mental health crisis, regardless of where they live.
To learn more
about the 24/7 mental health and addiction crisis hotline, visit www.chjc.org/crisis-response/
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