Bianca Harris, l-r, Veronica Collins, and ChaKara Gunn gave a preview of Gary’s Mental Health and Crisis Network

Gary preparing to launch Mental Health and Crisis Network

Contributed By: The 411 News

When the City of Gary set aside $1.5 million of its American Rescue Plan Act funds for a Mobile Mental Health/Crisis Response Initiative nearly 4 years ago, it was keeping its promise to the community to improve access to mental health services and reduce law enforcement responses to mental and behavioral health crises.

The initiative got its start when Mayor Jerome Prince answered residents calls for police reform, launching the Gary Police Citizens Advisory Commission in September 2020, his first year in office.

The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer earlier that year propelled Gary and communities nationwide to examine police practices.

One of the Advisory Commission’s recommendations, crisis intervention training for police gained traction in the community, galvanizing social justice advocates who said spending time in jail was not the solution for the homeless, those with alcohol or drug addictions, and those with mental illnesses.

‘Give them help, not handcuffs’ was the message from the Interfaith Action Network, a coalition of local churches and synagogues that proposed the city set up a mobile crisis response program to answer calls for help instead of relying on the police.

Today, the city is on the path to launch its Mental Health and Crisis Network Initiative within the framework of the IAN proposal.

Mayor Eddie Melton moved the initiative to the Gary Health Dept. and used the services of the Phoenix Nicholas Center, based in Indianapolis, to design the program to fit the needs of Gary’s residents.

The Gary Health Department’s recent information session at Tolleston Park Pavilion gave community members and healthcare providers a preview of the pilot program that aims to provide services using a network of behavioral healthcare providers

Gary is fortunate to have Edgewater Behavioral Health, a facility that has a crisis stabilization unit, said Bianca Harris, of the Nicholas Center. It provides an alternative to jail and hospital emergency rooms when police have responded to mental health and substance abuse emergencies.

In 2024, Edgewater launched its Mobile Crisis Response Team, designed to meet individuals in distress when and where they are, 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

Edgewater provides care that is recovery-oriented and focused on helping individuals return to community-based care.

Gary’s program goes beyond crisis intervention, Harris said. “Sometimes people need assistance but don’t need crisis intervention assistance. They may need access to providers, resources and information. We are filling the gap by creating a centralized network that can gather resources and disseminate information.”

In an effort to expand the network, the Gary Health Department has issued an RFP “to encourage collaboration among Gary’s community and grass-roots organizations, and its individual practitioners to create a community network of access to mental health services,” said ChaKara Gunn, the health department’s Behavioral Health Manager. “These community based supports can help avoid unnecessary emergency care or police engagement, and disparities in access and quality of care services.”

“Right now, we are targeting crisis stabilization services,” Gunn added. The network also needs providers who can address the barriers to healthcare access, such as transportation, stigma reduction, and insurance coverage.

Chris Carroll, Edgewater’s crisis manager advised healthcare providers, “After stabilization, we have a lot of people needing the services you are offering. Many of them will need housing and other support services.” Carroll also provides crisis intervention training for law enforcement agencies in Lake County.

RFPs approved will receive grants from the ARPA funds to assist in growing their business and making them more robust, said Health Dept. Director Veronica Collins. “We are trying to build a network and $1.5 million won’t sustain it. The grants will assist them in operating and providing mental health services to Gary residents.”

India Hicks operates All Things Autism, a resource center for families with autistic children and adolescents. “This grant will be very beneficial for us so we can keep providing the service in Gary,” Hicks said.


Healthcare providers Teanna Wilbur, l-r, India Hicks, and Candis Coleman chat

Hicks said All Things Autism could grow even more in Gary if the big insurance carriers accepted her as a provider. “We take state insurance and some others, but the big insurers tell us they aren’t taking on anymore providers in Gary. There are only 2 of us in Gary. I believe it’s because of our demographics as an underprivileged area.”

The Gary Health Dept. will hold its next information session on January 28th at Indiana University Northwest.

Story Posted:01/23/2025