Community Crisis Response

A group of community members trained to de-escalate, stabilize, assess, and connect those in a crisis while working to divert the need for intervention from law enforcement officers or emergency departments.
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Community Crisis Response: De-escalate, Stabilize, Assess, Connect

HDC’s community crisis response team is built up of mental health professionals and peer specialists trained in de-escalation, intervention, and stabilization of people experiencing a mental health crisis.

Our Crisis Line is 24/7 Experiencing Crisis? Call MN (844) 772-4724 WI (715) 395-2259
group conversation

The Mobile Crisis Response team serves Duluth and the 30-mile surrounding radius. These teams provide fast, unarmed responses meant to intervene, de-escalate, stabilize, and assess our community members experiencing crisis. 

We continue to successfully provide services that divert from law enforcement and emergency department involvement while connecting people with outpatient services, rapid access Psychiatry, peer support, substance use and addiction services, supportive counseling, skills training, and more. 

Youth Crisis Response

Community Crisis Response intervention and stabilization services for youth include: De-escalating crises and stabilizing situations in schools and throughout the community.

 We work with families and youths to:

  • Identify potential triggers of a future crisis
  • Learn strategies for effectively dealing with a potential crisis

All calls get followed up by debriefing with caregivers along with future family follow-ups. 

REFUSAL OF SERVICE

CRT will not forcibly remove or transport people against their will or force our services on anyone without their explicit consent. Individuals retain their rights and refuse our services unless they are an imminent danger to themselves or others, or in the case of abuse of a child, senior, people with disabilities, or other protected populations. Equally, CRT is able to refuse services or redirect a client if our involvement is inappropriate or not therapeutic, if the request is something the client should do for themselves, or if it’s deemed unsafe for any involved party.

Volunteer Community Advisory Council

The Advisory Council is made up of community leaders who advocate for the needs of those in our historically underserved communities. 

This council is also responsible for exploring new program expansion opportunities that further HDC and the City of Duluth’s Mission to provide comprehensive, non-punitive, crisis services to our community. 

Members:

Angel Debrow

Charlotte Meyer

Deb Holman

Deb Northrup

John Herald

LeAnn Littlewolf

Lydia Walker-Thoeness

Melody Goldberg

Michelle Buhler

Salaam Witherspoon

Tom Innis

Treasure Jenkins

Crisis Response FAQs

Our Community Crisis Response team is a community-based public safety system. It provides mental health first-response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction.

CRT deals with a wide range of mental health-related crises, including conflict resolution, welfare checks, substance abuse, suicide threats, grief and loss, and more, relying on trauma-informed de-escalation and harm-reduction techniques.

We are also active in responding to youth crises in our schools. 

Community Crisis Response is made possible by the funding of two grants:

Region 3 ABHI (Adult Behavioral Health Initiative) Grant:

  • This is the original mobile crisis grant (Adult and Children’s Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Services)
  • Funds go toward paying for mobile crisis response throughout South St. Louis, Carlton, Lake, and Cook County, MN.

City of Duluth Crisis Grant:

  • Supplemental funds cover Community Outreach Workers, specifically designated to assist residents within the city of Duluth. This money assisted in expanding our capability with outreach services such as:
    • Ensuring continuity of care after a visit to a local ED
    • Coordinating welfare checks with DPD/LE 
    • Community/grief support 
    • Community education and awareness surrounding Crisis Response and mental health.
  • The grant also pays for a Registered Nurse who works as a liaison between the DPD/CORE team and the Crisis Team to ensure best outcomes.
  • Community Coordinator was hired with this grant money to ensure community needs/desires specific to crisis responses are understood and achieved. 

Yes, each individual we serve has a right to privacy. We do everything in our power to ensure that their identity and health information are protected. 

Yes. All services are offered at no-charge to the recipient. This includes if our team makes the assessment that other services would be helpful and chooses to provide transportation to said service. 

Our community crisis response team’s hours differ by county. These crisis numbers will always connect you with groups who are here to help.

South St. Louis County – 24/7

Carlton County – 24/7

Lake County

  • Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM: calls from the crisis line go to the individual county
  • From 5:00 PM-8:00 AM: our Crisis Response Team is on-call

Cook County

  • Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM: calls from the crisis line go to the individual county
  • From 5:00 PM-8:00 AM: our Crisis Response Team is on-call.

You can call our crisis lines ANYTIME. You will receive help. 

As of now, HDC’s crisis response training is only available to our Crisis Response Team members. Interested in becoming a responder? Head to bit.ly/HDCCareers to see open positions with HDC.