COMMUNITY PROFILE
Crisis Support Center By Meghan Ochs IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE, it takes two strokes of a writing instrument to write the word crisis. One stroke represents danger, but the other, stands for opportunity. This little tidbit of knowledge is commonly shared around the workspaces at Crisis Support Centers of Nevada (CSSNV) where staff, including Executive Director, Rachelle Pellissier, are hyper aware that in today’s climate, more so than ever, crisis does signal both danger and opportunity. Crisis Support Center of Nevada has been in operation since 1966. Since that time CSSNV has experienced multiple periods of systematic change; however, 2020 may represent the largest change yet. The global pandemic forced CSSNV to pivot quickly in numerous ways. Additionally, recent federal legislation is also creating huge systematic changes to the way organizations like CSSNV operate and help those who are in need of their support services. Despite these great changes, the mission has remained the same, save lives by listening, deescalating, creating a safety plan and referring services to those who are in severe crisis. The aspect of crisis that represents danger likely does not require much of an explanation, CSSNV’s numbers speak for themselves. In 2020, CSSNV answered the phone calls of 83,000 people in crisis. Crisis is defined in a multitude of ways, victims of child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, people experiencing suicidal thoughts or dispositions, and or people with other mental or behavioral health issues.
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