The Eastern Shore Mobile Crisis Team is a name—and Hotline number— everyone on the Eastern Shore should know. Simply put, they save lives.
Surprisingly, this free emergency service for people in crisis, now in its 5th year, remains unknown to many who could benefit from this life saving service,
According to Carol Masden, Eastern Shore Director of Operations of Santé Affiliated Group, the four years has been wisely spent perfecting its services for each individual county while amplifying strategies and coordination between disparate Crisis Teams. Word of mouth and rack cards in high-density public areas and a high profile during health events have been their primary marketing tools.
And it has been busy.
593 dispatches were made in all the counties they served during the first quarter of this year alone. According to a state designed healthcare blue book, which rates the costs of emergency room visits, ESMC dispatches and interventions saved consumers (clients) over $1 million by providing alternatives to emergency room visits.
“Crisis is determined by the person in need. It could be a call for a mental health issue, substance abuse, domestic violence or family conflicts. We will assess each situation and provide links to needed services,” Masden says.
The Mobile Crisis teams are available 9am-midnight, seven days a week and serve all nine counties on the Eastern Shore.
Their Hotline is 1-888-407-8018.
Here is Director Carol Masden discussing Santé Affiliate Eastern Shore Mobile Crisis Teams.
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