Last week, Auburn City Council agreed to help fund the expansion of Cayuga County’s mobile crisis services.
Speaking of FLX Morning, Sheriff Brian Schenck said he is pleased with the announcement, saying the services provided by the mobile crisis teams that work alongside his deputies are invaluable to the community.
“That mobile crisis team has just been great,” Schenck said. “Our deputies are not specialists when it comes to addressing mental health needs… these mobile crisis teams, these are trained people that specialize in dealing with crisis situations and getting people help for their mental health challenges, and they’ve been great partners.
A mobile crisis team responds to mental health calls with law enforcement, freeing up law enforcement and providing appropriate help when their response is unnecessary. The new funding allows the team to provide additional services from 9:00a-5:00p on weekdays.
Auburn City Council voted last week to contribute $80,000 in ARPA funding to help cover the expansion’s startup costs. Cayuga County has agreed to put forth $80,000 and will fund the program moving forward.
