GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Gaston County Emergency Medical Services received $300,000 in funding from the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services Rural Health Transformation Program. This funding will establish a Crisis Intervention Unit designed to improve mental and behavioral health crisis response in Gaston County.
The proposed Crisis Intervention Unit aims to strengthen continuity of care and reduce strain on ambulances and other public safety resources, county officials said. This initiative focuses particularly on the most rural parts of Gaston County. The unit will specifically respond to behavioral health-related 911 calls.
The grant will fund four GEMS positions to directly address increasing behavioral health-related 911 responses involving individuals experiencing mental health crises, such as suicidal ideation.
Each staff member assigned to the Crisis Intervention Unit will receive specialized training in crisis intervention, de-escalation, care coordination, transportation assistance, behavioral health navigation and connection to community-based treatment and support services.
The unit will collaborate with Hope United Survivor Network. It also expands Gaston County Emergency Medical Services’ Community Paramedicine Program, which was established in 2021.
This program provides substance use intervention and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), leads harm reduction initiatives and reduces response times by having dedicated community paramedics respond to substance use-related emergencies.
The Community Paramedicine Program additionally connects patients to community resources and provides transportation to those receiving recovery services.