OCO Health Homes Collaborates with Fulton Police Department

FULTON –  Mental health issues and substance use disorder affect communities across the country. While Oswego County is no exception, one agency is focused on helping those struggling with mental health and substance use disorder by helping people connect with the assistance and services they need to improve their lives.

Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Health Homes program has partnered with the Fulton Police Department to enhance its reach and connect individuals with services and programs that can assist them in addressing needs regarding mental health and substance use disorder.

“The Health Home program offers intensive case management, which includes coordination of care with medical providers and various service agencies. For those experiencing substance use disorder, we can connect them with treatment options and assist with follow through for their medical needs,” said Coordinator of Health Access Services, Stacie France. “Our goal is to ensure that those we serve receive the care and treatment to improve their overall wellbeing.”

Currently the Health Home program has four case managers that travel throughout Oswego County to meet consumers where they are at. The program recently received a grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health that provides funding for an additional case manager that will be available, on site at the Fulton and Oswego Police Departments. The collaboration with area law enforcement increases the access to the services provided by the Health Home program.

“Stacie reached out to us at just the right time,” said Fulton City Police Chief Mike Curtis. “We had been looking into a very similar program offered by non-profit agency in the Albany area. When Stacie contacted me about OCO’s Home Health program and how it can benefit our community we were excited to partner with a local agency that we have worked with in the past.”

The Fulton Police Department will host an OCO Home Health case manager once a week. Having a case manager on site will improve access to services for the population that the police officers deal with.

“Police officers are sometimes counselors or social workers, however that is not always an ideal situation,” explained Chief Curtis. “Having someone to provide assistance and guidance to those we deal with on a daily basis is important. Many of the individuals we serve fall into the category of mental health issues or substance abuse disorder, some of them we have had years of contact with. They need someone to direct them to the services that can help them break the cycle. With a case manager on site these individuals know that they can easily access the information they need to improve their lives.”

“This collaboration with OCO is the first step in having a counselor onsite. It will give us a sense of what it would be like to have a civilian embedded into the department,” continued Chief Curtis. “I’d like to see the program expand in the future and increase the number of days a case manager would be onsite.”

“The opportunity to collaborate with our local law enforcement agencies and receive additional referrals will have a positive impact on those we serve as well as the community,” said France. “Addressing individuals health-related needs, coordinating care with medical providers and assisting with connections to resources such as financial and housing assistance may mean fewer trips to the emergency room, less time spent in the hospitals, access to regular medical appointments, finding a safe place to live, and more.”

For more information about OCO’s Health Homes program and the services it offers, visit oco.org.

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