A mental health crisis can occur at any time and at any place – home, work, school, or any public space. In the past, a person in crisis had to be taken to a hospital or a behavioral health facility for care. Today, that help can come to them.

All it takes to initiate services is a call to Coleman’s Stark County Mobile Response Unit at 330-452-6000. This group is composed of licensed counselors who can arrive within minutes of receiving a request for assistance. With training in crisis intervention, and information and referral, these counselors are skilled in assisting with a wide range of issues, including:

• family arguments
• feelings of isolation
• substance use concerns
• dealing with stress

“You can think of it as a 9-1-1 call for mental health,” states Michelle Allison-Smith, Chief Officer of Coleman Crisis Services. She adds that in the event of a medical emergency, such as an overdose, suicide attempt, or violence, that 9-1-1 should be contacted.

Otherwise, there are no predetermined criteria for someone to qualify for Mobile Response Unit services. All situations are considered valid.

Coleman recognizes that youth and adults have different behavioral health needs. As a result, there are separate response teams with specialized, age-specific training to provide care to these two groups.

Youth Mobile Response Program

What makes the Youth Mobile Response Team special is its expertise in treating the behavioral health needs of preschool and school-age children. Whether at home, at school, or at a community setting, this team will coordinate a response with the caller to address the youth’s behavioral health concerns.

Adult Mobile Response Program

With broad experience in crisis intervention, the Adult Mobile Response Team is well-versed in evaluating adults for various emotional and mental health issues. No matter who has made the call—a friend, family member, co-worker, or caregiver, the team will collaborate with that caller to best address the needs of the person in crisis.

While it’s not directly a part of Coleman’s Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), the Mobile Response Team serves as the gatekeeper to services at the CSU. This is how many clients initially access treatment there.

Formed in August 2018, the Mobile Response Units make an average of 100 assessments each month. Allison-Smith said that Coleman created these teams based on the findings from national research.

“Meeting a person that’s experiencing a crisis in their environment has a higher success rate as compared to coming into an office or center,” she explains. “Our Mobile Response Units in Stark County give area residents an additional choice.”

“Coleman’s mission to help those regardless of their ability to pay is something that stuck with me,” Jones said. “I know Coleman will do the best they can for someone in need. I am here to help people because it is in my heart to do so, and I don’t expect anything in return.”

Since she started, Jones’ caring and compassionate ways have made an impact on clients and colleagues alike. Fuller recalled an especially chaotic day when staff had called off and other unexpected challenges arose. She fully expected to have to deal with a difficult day ahead. Instead, when she entered the CSU kitchen, she found that Jones had that all under control.

“I came in thinking it would be a mess, and I’d have to deal with angry people. Here, Rhonda had already fed everyone,” Fuller shared. “I smelled something good–Rhonda had made a cake. She told me, ‘We had a rough day, so I made a cake.’ That’s just the kind of person she is, always making sure our clients are happy.”

Before Jones can cook meals, she has to inventory the ingredients she has on hand and place orders with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. She serves as CSU’s main contact with the Foodbank. According to Fuller, options to buy things there constantly change, so Jones must closely monitor what’s available to maintain a well-stocked kitchen.

“Thankfully, Rhonda is quick-thinking,” Fuller said. “She has to be inventive at times with menu planning especially if our grocery stock is running low. No matter what, she does everything with a smile.”

Many clients have dietary restrictions or preferences, which could throw a curveball to other less experienced cooks. Jones handles these requests with ease by making sure she has plenty of menu items ready to prepare vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free meals.

Jones’ began honing her cooking skills in high school. She has fine-tuned them over the years as a mother to 2 sons.

“As a mother, I had to cook to take care of my family. I had boys—do you know how much chicken I had to fry?” she chuckled. “Their favorite meal was fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, and green beans—all homemade. My skills really started in home economics and from there, it’s been trial and error.”

Feeding CSU’s clients is more than just cooking to Jones. One would never mistake her meals as institutional food. She takes great pride in what she makes.

Fuller can attest to that. “Rhonda makes a delicious breakfast casserole,” she added. “She often sends me mouth-watering pictures of the meals she’s prepared.”

Jones is grateful for the opportunity to manage the CSU kitchen and get to know so many of the clients. For as much as she gives of herself through cooking for them, she finds her work to be personally rewarding.

“The clients are all so interesting. From all walks of life, they walk through our doors for help. I listen to their stories and have learned so much,” she reflected. “I also appreciate the CSU kitchen because I am able to be creative in there and see the smile on clients’ faces when I serve a home-cooked meal for them.”

With Jones’ cooking talent and kitchen management skills, donors can be reassured that the CSU not only serves nutritious meals cooked with care, but it also does so with a keen eye toward efficiency.

As a trauma-informed organization, Coleman Health Services understands that different types of trauma can result in a number of ways – physical, emotional, and mental. But trauma is also a subjective experience. What might be considered traumatic for you might not be to someone else. However, anything that threatens the life and safety of someone is a traumatic event. And witnessing a traumatic event can have an impact as well. 

Types of trauma:

• Combat trauma – especially active-duty in a war-like setting
• Crimes or natural disasters – being held at gunpoint, surviving a natural disaster can also lead to long-term anxiety
• Abuse or neglect – whether by a parent or a spouse 
• Traumatic accidents – car accidents, traumatic sports injuries can trigger anxiety

Recognizing trauma response as a cry for help.

At Coleman, we understand the impact of trauma can be far-reaching, and it can affect every aspect of health. People can experience a range of physical, mental, emotional and behavioral reactions. While responses to trauma can vary greatly, common reactions may include:

• Reliving the experience 
• Difficulty eating or sleeping
• Isolation 
• Questioning faith/beliefs 
• Becoming easily startled
• Experiencing anger/emotional outbursts
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering things 

It’s normal to have strong reactions following a distressing or frightening event, but when any of these symptoms affect daily living, Coleman is here to support a treatment plan of active recovery that avoids re-traumatization.

Coleman is committed to providing a trauma-informed environment.

All Coleman staff are trained in trauma-informed care, and we take responsibility for our role in providing a trauma-informed environment. We understand that involves supporting self-care and wellness among our staff. Coleman supports and empowers its employees through continuous improvement – including ongoing training. We view clients and team members alike, from the empathetic lens of “What happened to you?” rather than an accusatory lens of “What’s wrong with you?” 

Coleman supports continuing education opportunities for specific trauma-informed care (TIC) trainings including:

• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) – non-judgmental approach to psychotherapy that includes combination of cognitive therapy and meditation where therapists encourage clients to remain present
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. 
• Critical incident stress management (CISM) — crisis intervention designed to provide support for those who have experienced trauma
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) – a treatment model that incorporates a caring humanistic approach, trauma-sensitive interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, and techniques that address the specific emotional and mental health needs
• De-escalation Strategies – empathetic, respectful, and supportive interventions focused on calming patients with agitation — safely and cooperatively. 

Person-centered care makes a vital difference.

Coleman clients are involved in any decisions being made about their treatment. The trauma-informed specialists at Coleman will consider each client’s individual situation when creating a treatment plan. Treatment plans include therapies such as group counseling, personal therapy, family and community programs, or medication-based therapy. Clients often benefit from a combination of a number these effective options. 

We support a plan of ongoing, holistic care.

“Whole person” treatment at Coleman – a wellness approach that can offer a greater level of care by integrating mental and physical health as well as meaningful contribution and successful daily living. At Coleman, we coordinate efforts to develop a safe discharge plan as a treatment team – assuring every client’s needs are supported. 

The right support can make an important impact.

Because clients are directly involved with their own treatment plans, trauma-informed care supports a trusting relationship with staff, increases engagement and •promotes active adherence to treatment plans – having a positive effect on long-term health outcomes. That’s why Coleman clients are motivated to continue treatment and seek a new, helpful direction to recovery.

Learn more. Make a referral.

2421 13th St. NW Canton, OH 44708 • 330-452-6000

StarkCSU@colemanservices.org 

“Trauma-informed care offers a warmer, more caring approach that helps build trust,” Fuller observed. “It provides a calm and non-judgmental environment where clients feel safe and more comfortable to discuss their concerns. Coleman offers a compassionate approach to counseling that doesn’t condemn the client, but instead provides them with a safe place, so they feel more comfortable to express their trauma and emotions more openly.”

Trauma-informed care offers understanding and healing:

• Recognizing the signs and symptoms of trauma
• Actively avoiding re-traumatization
• Directing powerful paths for recovery

Ashley started her work in the field as a case manager at Coleman before pursuing a graduate degree in counseling. “Coleman offered both the opportunities and the experience I was seeking,” she noted. “I’ve always been interested in psychology and trauma-informed care at Coleman is a respected community of care with broad-reaching avenues to support that really address individual, holistic healing and wellness.” 

At a personal level, Ashley’s purpose and values aligned with Coleman’s core principles for trauma-informed care – even before she had any idea how trauma-informed was defined.

Coleman core principles of trauma-informed care:

• Safety – We provide an environment where clients feel physically and emotionally safe
• Trustworthiness & Transparency – Treatment plans are discussed with openness and transparency
• Peer Support – Shared experiences are vital to recovery, especially when they are integrated into a personalized plan of care
• Collaboration – Shared decision-making helps clients own their plan for recovery
• Empowerment – Healing from trauma promotes resiliency
• Humility & Responsiveness – We promote a working culture where all biases, prejudices, stereotypes and historical trauma are recognized and addressed

Helping Build a Community of Trauma-Informed Support

The compassionate trauma-informed approach to person-centered care that Fuller first became attracted to has been transformational for many Coleman clients. It’s an approach that recognizes that most people have experienced a number of traumatic events in their lifetime – whether acute, chronic or complex. 

Trauma-informed care at Coleman Health Services, takes into consideration the widespread physical, social, and emotional impact trauma can have on an individual. 

Beyond providing access and facilitating active support, Ashley also helped to secure grants and stipends to bolster overall operations – from the OhioMHAS grant to serve out of county residents to support from the United Way and the Akron Canton Food Bank to feed resident clients.

Making a Difference

Throughout her Coleman career, Fuller was able to actively advocate for patients and help support grant funding activities, crisis intervention, group counseling and individual counseling. She retold a story from the Coleman Stabilization Unit, “We had a patient who went from not caring for himself, not helping himself, to reaching out to staff and actively engaging in groups. In fact, he loved group therapy so much it became a tremendous motivation for recovery,” she offered. “It was impressive how quickly he rebounded. When he left the facility, he had so much confidence in his recovery. It was really inspirational.”

Ashely has transitioned into a management position with Coleman Health Services. Today Ashley is the Director of the Coleman Stabilization Unit. And she credits all of her working experience and internship for offering her the education and experience to make this leadership position possible. “My internship has been a huge steppingstone in my career,” Fuller explained. “I love that I’m able to make a real impact on peoples’ lives – offering hope in the middle of a crisis and leading clients toward healing and recovery. Clients have actually called me back and thanked me for being there to support them through their difficulties. It’s truly fulfilling work – knowing I have made a positive difference in someone’s life.”

1. What first led you to work at CIRC (now Coleman)?

I was looking for work in [Psychology] and I wanted to gain experience in the mental health field, too. I was in my second year of my bachelors in Psych with the ambition of going on to master’s school to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I wanted to know for sure that I was cut out for this line of work, or at the very least had to resiliency for it!

2. Describe the similarities and differences between CIRC and Coleman.

Transparency. I saw first-hand how CIRC collapsed due to its inability to adapt and innovate – especially when it came to digital charging. Digital charting was poorly implemented and caused sweeping problems that were hidden from the CIRC staff. I actually learned about the true financial state of CIRC and some of their failings through an article in the Canton Repository! Within two weeks of Coleman stepping in they were sharing benchmarks, client feedback, Medicare reimbursement details, etc. It was a huge change.

3. Explain how Coleman has influenced your decision to seek your Master’s degree in psychology/counseling?

My time at Coleman proved to me that I had the resiliency to be in this field. I feel intuitively that I am where I should be – there is something powerful, and deeply motivating about such a feeling!

4. What have you learned about yourself personally – and your career – from the people you serve at Coleman?

My time at Coleman has taught me much about the mental health system. There are things I have learned as a crisis Technician that have had a great impact on my education and work towards my Master’s. Going into classes already having experiences with people afflicted with mental illness gives me a strong foundation that I would not have otherwise.

At first, I cynically disregarded Coleman’s employee health initiatives, especially their promotion of self care. After one very tough day at work, I had a change of perspective. It hit me that the CSU deals with literal life and death matters every day. This is a tremendous responsibility placed upon Coleman and then on to ALL its employees. These responsibilities can carry an emotional, cognitive, and physical demand. I started observing how the company, and each individual, works to manage the effects of these demands to protect their own mental health and deliver the quality care our clients need.

5. What experiences, skills and knowledge that you have acquired from your current job – do you believe will stay with you for your entire career?

The experience I gained while working for Coleman has set me up for success in my field. This position has taught me a lot and helped me mature into a confident mental health care professional. It has also made me appreciate things as they are, even if they are not perfect. Stability, and living a good life is hard – I have come to deeply appreciate what I have.

6. Parting thoughts or words of wisdom?

Sometimes, all an individual may need is one person to care about them – then their whole world changes for the better. Perhaps this is the true business of Colman?

“I am proud to have Zach Jones on my team,” states Ashley Fuller, Director of Coleman Crisis Stabilization Unit of Stark County. “Zach goes above and beyond for the patients. His compassion shines in everything he does.”