A meeting was held Monday in Morgan City for local first responders, St. Mary Parish school officials and stakeholders to introduce a new resource that will provide a 24/7 mobile response team for juveniles in a mental health crisis. The service is not just available to first responders, but also at no cost to families. The Youth Mobile Crisis Response Line may be reached anytime, day or night, at (985) 370-6026.
Brandy Lirette, the Regional Director of Gulf Coast Social Services, said the average response time to a crisis is 28 minutes and explained the service to those who attended the meeting, which was livestreamed on the KQKI Digital Video Network. You may view the meeting in its entirety below.
The meeting was hosted by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office which said, ” When deputies respond to calls involving teens or children who are refusing to go to school, acting out, or struggling emotionally, the situation is often more complex than just a lack of discipline. Sometimes, these young people are facing deep emotional or health-related challenges that require more than just law enforcement intervention.”
The Sheriff’s Office added that Sheriff Gary Driskell and Lt. Oscar West have been working hard to find additional resources to assist these children and their families, which resulted in the agency hosting Monday’s meeting.
Driskell said, “If we are going to truly meet the needs of our citizens as we attempt to serve them, we have to think outside the box and fine resources to make available. I am hoping that Gulf Coast Social Services will become a resource for us soon.
KQKI News Correspondent Brady Borel spoke with West following the meeting who said the resource is just another tool in their toolbox to serve the area youth. You may hear West’s comments below.
