By Kimmie Andresen-Reed, Youth Mobile Crisis Coordinator
I hope you all had a wonderful summer break. I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you about a helpful crisis counseling service my team and I will provide to students in your district. My name is Kimmie and I’m the Youth Mobile Crisis Coordinator at CommUnity Crisis Services in Iowa City. Mobile Crisis Response is available anytime your student is experiencing signs of a mental health crisis. This can look different for each student but some of the more noticeable signs can include changes to mood and behavior including:
- Mood swings
- Extreme energy or lack of it, sleeping all the time, or being unable to sleep
- Severe agitation/irritability
- Intense sadness
- Thinking everyone is out to get them or seeming to lose touch with reality
- Making threats to others or themselves
- Isolating themselves from friends and family, not coming out of their room
- Suicidal thoughts and statements such as “I want to die” or even possible vague statements such as “I don’t want to be here anymore”
Mobile crisis counselors will drive out to the school from 8 – 4 p.m. to provide rapid support to your students when there are concerns from the staff. Part of our role is to assess whether your student can remain safe at school or whether further intervention is necessary. My teammates and I are skilled in providing onsite counseling, resources/referrals for mental health treatment, and follow-up calls with you, the parent, so you can receive some support and recommendations, as well. We believe that no student or family should have to struggle alone.
Outside of school hours, mobile crisis counselors respond 24/7/365 to any location in Johnson or Iowa County. If you need Mobile Crisis to respond, call Your Life Iowa at 1-855-581-8111 and ask for Mobile Crisis. Our services are always free and confidential.
