Calling 9-1-1 during emergencies has become instinctive in cases of medical crisis, bodily harm or property endangerment. Who gets the call when the crisis involves mental illness?
In Eastern Missouri, it is Behavioral Health Response, known as BHR. It is a professionally staffed, accredited clinical call center based in Creve Coeur.
“We provide expert behavioral health, crisis response and corporate feedback services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to agencies and companies worldwide,” said Patricia Coleman, president and CEO.
“They can call us directly through our crisis hotline at 314-469-6644 or 1-800-811-4760, and it’s free of charge for residents.”
BHR provides confidential telephone counseling to persons who are experiencing mental health crises. It also offers mobile outreach, community referral and critical incident stress management. BHR’s call center workforce consists of about 100 paid professional staff with at least master’s level degrees in behavioral science disciplines.
Its Access Crisis Intervention provides around-the-clock access to mental health services to the residents of the city of St. Louis and the Missouri counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Warren, Iron, St. Francois and Washington.
“For this past year, we averaged 17,500 calls per month,” Coleman said. “And then, you know, we provide face-to-face mobile outreaches where the clinicians will go into the homes, the hospitals and places that are not restricted, and we’re averaging 200 of those per month.”
She said BHR is growing and so is the need for its services.
For example, a call may come into the crisis hotline. A clinician will conduct an assessment via the telephone. That clinician makes the decision whether the situation warrants a face-to-face mobile outreach. If needed, the mobile outreach clinician on call can go to a home and conduct an in-person assessment.
“Our job is to divert people from the hospital,” Coleman explained, “but if the need should rise, we will help them and link them to the hospital or to other services in the community to get them some help.”
‘Diverse in all ways’
She said it is through BHR’s employee referral program that organizational diversity and inclusion is promoted.
“We feel we have a diverse workforce. Our network of employees help keep a pipeline of talented, qualified candidates,” Coleman said. “It’s diverse in all ways – race, gender, age. Right now our HR department is doing an extra effort to recruit veterans – that qualify, of course – and people with disabilities.”
Recruiting professionals with the right mix of master’s level education and above, along with the clinical expertise, can be difficult, but Coleman said BHR is committed.
“Number one, we are looking for people with people that at the top of their list, because they know they will come to work here to save lives,” Coleman expounded.
“Also, we have to find people who have very good clinical skills. They work at a call center, so personal skills are very important; and you must be able to work as an individual and also as a team player.”
Collaborative effort
Leaders from four area community mental health service providers founded BHR in 1995 as a private, non-profit organization in order to create a comprehensive crisis intervention system for the eastern region of Missouri.
They are Crider Health Center, BJC Behavioral Health, Amanda Luckett Hopewell Center and Community Treatment, Inc., known as COMTREA. Executives from the organizations serve on the BHR Board of Directors, along with four additional board members added last year: CEOs from the Independence Center, Places for People, Queen of Peace and Bridgeway Behavioral Health.
In 2005, the BHR board incorporated BHR Worldwide, a for-profit subsidiary, Coleman said, “to preserve and protect the public mission of the parent company and to facilitate contingent growth in the private sector.”
Right now, Coleman said BHR’s for-profit business mix consists of employee assistance programs, corporate communications, behavior health, crisis intake and consultation, chemical dependency intake, and a recent expansion into hospital emergency departments with an e-Clinician service.
“We provide clinician services to hospitals and EDs across the country,” Coleman said. “This service provides assessment and case management services in hospitals 24/7 via telehelp video conferencing.”
STL County partnerships
BHR has a St. Louis County Youth Connection Helpline, a partnership with Youth in Need that is funded by St. Louis County Children’s Services fund.
“It’s a 24/7, one-stop access point for children, youth and families in St. Louis County,” she said. “They can text 4HLP, to 31658, or the telephone number is 314-628-2929 or toll free 1-877-928-2929.”
Another important BHR service is mental health first aid training, which is also a part of a St. Louis County grant.
“It’s designed to increase knowledge, reduce stigma and offer appropriate supports to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis,” Coleman said.
“We are going into our second year of that as well and it’s free of charge to individuals who live in St. Louis County, work in St. Louis County and/or serve or interact with St. Louis County children or youth.”
For more information, email trainings@BHRWorldwide.com or register at www.BHRSTL.org.
There since the beginning
Coleman has been with BHR since its inception 17 years ago. Last December, she became BHR’s president and CEO.
Coleman, a St. Louis native, earned an MBA at Fontbonne College and a BA from Saint Louis University. She is a registered surveyor with the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
She has been part of St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative Fellows and of FOCUS St. Louis’ Leadership St. Louis. Currently Coleman serves as vice chair of the Workforce Investment Board in St. Louis, and on the boards of Mental Health America of the Eastern Region and the St. Louis Regional Chamber.
Last November, Coleman received a Salute to Excellence in Business Award from The St. Louis American Foundation.
For more information on BHR, call 314-469-6644, 1-800-811-4760 or visit www.bhrworldwide.org.
