ADAMHS hopeful to find new crisis provider by end of year

DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — More than 24 hours have passed since crisis services with a local provider in Montgomery County ended. Many are still left wondering, what’s next?

All crisis calls are being directed to the national 988 hotline, but it’s expected a new local provider will be in place by the end of the year.

Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) says there was a seamless transition to calls being answered by the 988 number. As of Friday, there has been no negative feedback or incidents related to the transition.

The 988 call center taking all Montgomery County calls is located in Butler County. A 988 representative says they did see an increase over the past twenty-four hours due to the calls being re-routed. But, they are equipped to handle the load.

The ADAMHS Board of Trustees made it clear they do not want a short-term solution. Community meetings will be held within the next four to seven months to gather feedback on the current need for crisis services in the county.

The current goal is to have feedback delivered to the board as well as stakeholders by the end of July. With a provider selected and approved this fall. Until then, the national 988 line will serve Montgomery County.

“When RI international gave us that 14-day notice two and a half weeks ago now, we began an increased effort in marketing the 988 number knowing that it was very likely our crisis call center calls would end up at the 988 call center,” said Tina Rezash Rogal, director of strategic initiatives and communications at ADAMHS.

The Miami Valley warm line is still available and can be reached at 937-528-7777. This line is operational Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Those in a crisis can also utilize the Local Help Now web app which offers numerous emergency response resources.

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