Marcus Alert is a statewide framework designed to improve the response to mental and behavioral health crises in Virginia. Under the initiative, a co-responder unit, the Community Response Team (CRT) was developed. CRT is a specialized unit that consists of CIT-trained clinicians paired with CIT-trained law enforcement officers. This team responds to 911 calls for individuals in crisis that pose an imminent risk of harm to themselves and others. The team’s mission is to de-escalate crises in the community and divert individuals from unnecessary hospitalizations, injury, or arrest. Since CRT’s inception date in August 2022, the team has responded to nearly 300 calls for service and successfully de-escalated 93% of crises. There have been no incidents of use of force, injury, or death to any individual experiencing a crisis.

 

As an adjunct to the CRT, the Community Focus Team (CFT) was developed to work in collaboration with public safety officials and healthcare providers to identify high utilizers of emergency services that lead to costly and unnecessary hospitalizations or arrests. The CFT identifies and addresses the individual’s needs in the community. The CFT’s mission is to interrupt the high-utilizers pattern of behavior that often lead to unnecessary hospitalizations and arrests.  

RBHA's Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) is a 16-bed, residential treatment program for adults experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. CSU is staffed by an interdisciplinary team that includes psychiatric providers, nurses, medical doctors, behavioral health clinicians, peer specialists, and mental health technicians.

CSU serves the region by providing a safe environment and evidence-based treatment modalities for adults experiencing a mental health crisis. Referrals come from community service boards of Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, Goochland/Powhatan, Chesterfield, Crossroads, and D19.

These referrals allow the CSU to benefit the community by:

• helping individuals to avoid inpatient hospitalizations;
• increasing access to recovery services;
• coordinating mental heath, substance use, and medical services; and,
• assisting individuals with integration back into the community.

Pictured above is a recently created Sensory Room within the CSU. Sensory Rooms offer a safe, calming, and interactive space to decrease stress, anger, or anxiety. It is a therapeutic environment that allows individuals to develop and enhance skills in self-regulating and emotional self-care.