Mobile Crisis Outreach

Is Mobile Crisis Outreach for You?

We respond when a service provider, medical professional, employer, family member, friend or individual believes a situation would benefit from on-site crisis intervention, including in the home, at a business, or public place.

What to Expect

The team will respond within one hour of receiving a request (adverse weather conditions may delay response time). Private environments, like a person’s home, require two team members; in public locations like schools, businesses or hospitals, either one or two team members will be sent. Upon arrival, team members will:

Assess the situation
Attempt to stabilize and diffuse the crisis
Provide counseling as needed
Provide referrals to other Foundation 2 or community resources

Within 24 hours a MCO team member will make a follow-up call with the client to check on the client’s well-being.

Mobile Crisis Outreach is currently offered to residents of all ages in Linn, Benton, Jones, Delaware, Bremer, Buchanan, Cedar, Jackson, Clinton, Scott, and Muscatine counties.

Mobile Crisis Outreach

Call Now

MCO runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

When a service provider, medical professional, employer, family member, friend or individual believes a situation would benefit from on-site crisis intervention, they can call 319-362-2174 to discuss Mobile Crisis Outreach with Foundation 2 staff.

Mobile Crisis Outreach team members are trained professionals holding either a master’s level or bachelor’s level degree in the social services field. Team members undergo intensive training in counseling and crisis intervention skills and their application to a wide variety of situations.

Mobile Crisis Outreach is intended for situations where clients would benefit more from a face-to-face meeting than from a call to the Foundation 2 crisis phone line. Those situations could include:

Checking on an individual’s safety or well-being
Diffusing an emotional crisis
Dealing with a family crisis or situation involving more than one person
Assessing an individual in danger of attempting suicide

The Mobile Crisis Outreach is available 24/7, 365 days a year. The services are provided at no cost to you.

FAQ

Are there situations the MCO won't respond to?

Yes, for the safety of team members and the public, we are unable to respond to situations in which the client requires medical rescue, or in situations involving firearms.

Mobile Crisis Outreach is available to anyone within a 60 minute radius of Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Dubuque. If you need assistance outside that area, the 24-hour Foundation 2 crisis phone line is available to anyone, in any situation. Call 1-855-800-1239 to learn more.

What can I expect from the counselors who respond?

Our counselors will try to help you with your crisis by providing on-site counseling, referral services and general support (bringing out food, transportation to a hospital, contacting other family members, etc.). Our trained crisis counselors are experienced and non-judgmental. They are here to help.

Will Mobile Crisis Outreach see someone who is under the influence of substances?

Yes! As long as the person isn’t actively violent, is lucid on the phone, and wants to meet with counselors, we will respond regardless of substance use.

Will Mobile Crisis Outreach see someone more than once?

Yes! We have no limit on the number of times we will go out to see an individual in crisis. We often see “repeat” clients.

What is J-Fast?

J-FAST is a component of Mobile Crisis Outreach that works with Linn County families of youth (ages 5-17) at risk of hospitalization, committal, or residential placement. It is uniquely suited to help parents or schools in situations where youth are struggling with depression, violent behavior, substance abuse, self-harm and/or thoughts of suicide. J-FAST is a joint effort of Foundation 2, DECAT, ASAC, Abbe Center, Tanager Place, Heart and Solutions, Covenant Family Solutions, Four Oaks and St. Luke’s Chemical Dependency with the common goal of serving youth with immediate mental health or substance abuse needs quickly. J-FAST serves Linn County youth.