What is MCOT?
Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) is available to help those in the community experiencing a crisis due to mental illness and/or substance use issues. They provide assistance in community settings such as homes and schools. They are professionals trained to evaluate a person for safety, de-escalate a crisis, and provide information and education. They also refer people to community behavioral health services for additional support.
Who does MCOT serve?
MCOT serves adults, adolescents, and children who are experiencing a behavioral health (mental health and/or substance use) crisis regardless of their funding source or ability to pay. MCOT offers short term crisis intervention and prevention services utilizing strength-based, solution-focused, culturally competent, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented interventions. Anyone who is physically located in Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties is eligible for MCOT services. The program serves individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, or individuals in a pre-crisis situation that seems to be deteriorating and, without intervention, could result in a behavioral health crisis.
Approach to care
MCOT consists of a team of behavioral health providers, including mental health professionals, certified peer counselors, and substance use disorder professionals collaborating with the individual in crisis and their family members and/or support network to develop a plan to get through the current crisis, manage future crises, and move towards recovery.
Goal of MCOT
The goal of the MCOT team is to support members of the community through a behavioral health crisis, in the least restrictive manner possible.