Somersett Living November December 2021

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.

Rachelle Pellisier, executive director

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.

12

The staff and volunteers who answer the calls, or texts, at CSSNV are trained to handle all of these scenarios. Their training is extensive and includes over 80 hours initially, as well as monthly updates. Most of CSSNV’s 55 member staff are part time but the goal is to have more full time staff. Calls to the center can last twenty minutes or up to two or three hours. CSNNV is proud that the wait time on their crisis hotline is less than a minute. Now, since COVID, most of their staff answer calls remotely; whereas prior to the pandemic, all calls were taken in the Reno office. This was a huge change since CSSNV handles crisis support for the entire state of Nevada. The pandemic forced the center’s hand; they were required to upgrade technology to be able to ensure all of their staff and volunteers, across the state, had the right equipment, service and bandwidth to handle the job remotely. Luckily, during the pandemic calls didn’t increase exponentially but the severity of the crises people were calling for and the length of each call did. Rachelle explains, “COVID definitely showed us how badly we need these crisis support systems. It showed us what weaknesses we had, as well as the entire mental health system. We had to fly the plane, while building it.” As the pandemic slows, CSSNV is excited about their recent adaptations and required pivots which will remain permanent. An additional positive of recent world events is the new frequency and ease with which more people talk about mental and behavioral health. COVID and the stress it has brought on, has helped create more dialogue surrounding the work of CSSNV which lends well into the other major change they are experiencing.

Last year, near the end of 2020, the federal government passed what may be the largest change to mental health and emergency services in decades, The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act. The FCC has adopted rules to establish 988 as the new nationwide 3 digit phone number, the 911 equivalent, for emergency crisis services. This landmark legislation is set to go into effect in July of 2022 and CSSNV is leading the way, not just in Nevada but across the nation. 988 will help with more appropriate care for those who are not necessarily best served by other public services. The elimination of the ten digit phone system, and the new tailored crisis line, will help effectively pool resources and reduce the use of unnecessary healthcare spending and police services. Those in crisis will be more easily directed to early intervention and the appropriate services for behavioral care. An additional goal is to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental and behavioral health.

The pandemic was a catalyst for many things, at CSSNV they were mostly positive. Both COVID and the recent federal legislation have signaled big changes for this non-profit organization and will likely continue to do so in the upcoming years. For those of us who have been in crisis, or who know someone who has, we are regularly reminded why these services are needed. As a community we are grateful to have organizations like CSSNV creating positive change, not just in our own backyard, but around the state and country.

www.cssnv.org

If you or someone you know is struggling and needs help, Crisis Support Services of Nevada’s staff and volunteers are available 24/7/365. Call 1 (800) 273-8255, text LISTEN to 839863 or visit their website at www.cssnv.org.

Military & Veterans

Understand your options as a survivor of military trauma and mores.

LGBTQ+

Get the help you need. Give help an an ally. It can get better.

Youth

Discover resources to help children and young adults stay safe.

Ayuda En Español

Obtenga información sobre nuestros serviccios y recursos locales.

13