New Mobile Crisis Van Brings Faster Help to Broome County Residents in Crisis

If you've ever needed help during a mental health crisis, or watched someone you love go through one, you know how much timing matters. Broome County is betting on that same idea with a new investment to get help to people faster, wherever they are.

Broome County Invests $1 Million a Year in MHAST Mobile Crisis Program

Broome County, the City of Binghamton, and the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier (MHAST) announced an expansion of MHAST's Mobile Crisis Program, bringing behavioral health crisis response directly into neighborhoods across the county. If you live in Broome County, this means help is now built to come to you instead of the other way around.

The expanded program took effect April 1 and is backed by a new five-year funding award totaling $1 million annually from Broome County. That investment has let MHAST significantly grow its staffing and response capacity, including two-person response teams and dedicated Mobile Crisis vehicles.

How Broome County's Mobile Crisis Response Works

Mobile Crisis operates seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., meeting people where they are instead of asking them to come somewhere else. If you or someone you're with is in crisis, trained staff can respond directly to you and provide on-the-spot assessment, de-escalation and stabilization, safety planning, and connections to services, coordinating with community providers and emergency services when needed.

The new Mobile Crisis van rolling out across the community was made possible in part by a $100,000 investment from the City of Binghamton to help MHAST upfit the vehicle and build out the infrastructure needed for the expanded response.

Broome County's Expanding Behavioral Health Crisis Continuum

For residents, this expansion means one more option exists between "I don't know who to call" and getting real help. This is one piece of a larger behavioral health crisis continuum in Broome County, giving people another option when they're in crisis and helping connect them to appropriate care. MHAST is also continuing work on a Crisis Stabilization Center, expected to open soon and add another resource for residents experiencing behavioral health crises.

"When someone is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, getting them the right help at the right time can make all the difference," Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said. "This investment allows MHAST to put trained professionals directly in our communities, where they can respond to people in crisis, help stabilize the situation, and connect them with the care they need."

Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham called it an important step forward for mental health services in the city and the Southern Tier, saying the mobile crisis team will help residents in crisis get support quickly, safely, and conveniently.

"This expansion allows us to bring crisis services directly to people where they are," MHAST Executive Director Kaitlyn Andrews said. "We're incredibly grateful for the investment of Broome County and the City of Binghamton, and for the strong partnerships with law enforcement and others across our community that make this work possible."

Broome County Department of Mental Health Commissioner Liz Warneck said the expansion strengthens the county's crisis continuum, allowing support to reach people directly in the community and connect them to the services and resources they need.

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If you or someone you know is experiencing a behavioral health crisis in Broome County, someone is available every hour of every day. Learn more about MHAST's programs and services at mhast.org.