FOCUSS Mobile Crisis Centralized Headquarters

Project Description

FOCUSS nonprofit realized a need for a dedicated and specialized Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) for Central Iowa, and FOCUSS is raising $1,000,000 to purchase a centralized building to headquarter our Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) and behavioral healthcare staff.

After being on the scene for continual shootings – both in schools and the community – and responding to a rapid uptick in mental health events within all communities, FOCUSS noticed that many youth and families have not been receiving help for the trauma, PTSD, and resulting mental health needs following on-going violent incidents that they have been witness to.

FOCUSS learned that especially those in vulnerable communities are not comfortable in trusting many other services. “We understood when coming out to crisis calls that those in underserved communities were not getting the resources and help that they needed,” said Darnell Loatman, CEO of FOCUSS. “Minority communities are less trusting of other crisis teams that didn’t look like them and responders who don’t understand their culture.”

FOCUSS needs your help to raise $1,000,000 for a centralized location so that there will be:

(1) Rapid Response of the FOCUSS Mobile Crisis Team (MCT).
(2) Safe Spaces for clients to be away from traumatic scenes.
(3) Offices for our FOCUSS therapists and behavioral techs.
(4) Meeting Rooms for FOCUSS educational classes for the community.
(5) Resting Quarters for our 24/7 on-call FOCUSS Mobile Crisis Team (MCT).

FOCUSS MCT’s greatest strength is going into communities not reached by other crisis organizations.

On one crisis call there was a 10-year old girl crying uncontrollably and unable to talk following a shooting in her community. As our FOCUSS MCT team provided real-time care, assessment, and counseling for the girl, a line formed with more kids. This is typical of the crisis events that our team responds to where we often help groups of youth and their families at one time.

On another call where a victim died from gun violence, FOCUSS MCT responded to the victim’s sister on the scene. As the sister was so upset, it was important to remove her away from the location of the shooting to: (1) deescalate her from the violent event, (2) provide her with mental and physical health services, and (3) bring her to a place of safety. Had FOCUSS been equipped with a building, we would have taken the sister to our building to be seen by FOCUSS therapists in a calming and safe environment, but instead, we put her on our MCT vehicle and drove to a nearby neighborhood to provide our services.

What does FOCUSS MCT offer? We educate with information promptly and in real time for the community. We provide interventions and safe spaces during incidents, and it is our goal to direct individuals to the appropriate resources for their needs. We offer face-to-face immediate response, counseling, and wraparound services for on-going support and referrals.

FOCUSS MCT is a bridge to serve all communities with accurate assessments due to a diverse staff with both lived experiences and professional training in behavioral health. We provide services to youth and families of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. FOCUSS leadership, staff, Board of Directors, and Advisory Board is the most diverse team of any nonprofit for the reason of knowing needs of all communities and assisting in providing for those needs with our services and programming. We conduct interviews in the communities to really understand what is needed.

Contact FOCUSS today at: 515-639-8376 or 515focuss@gmail.com