About the Alliance

The East Metro Crisis Alliance is an informal partnership that plays a unique role in convening stakeholders for problem solving mental health and substance use crisis care issues at the systems level. Since 2001, the Alliance has worked as an innovative public-private partnership comprising counties, hospitals, health plans, consumer organizations, and the state, whose purpose is to improve the crisis system in Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties.

The Alliance formed as a result of a system-wide crisis that was sending mentally ill patients far from home to receive inpatient psychiatric care — at great detriment to the consumer’s recovery and great cost to the system. Unfortunately, our crisis system remains challenged by increased demand, decreased access to services and siloed responses.

The Alliance surfaces ideas to improve our crisis system in conversations with our stakeholders and then convenes and supports work groups to implement these solutions together.

The Alliance is only as effective as our stakeholders’ interest and participation in our efforts. We build relationships with and among all East Metro mental health and substance use crisis system stakeholders – providers, advocacy groups, counties, hospitals, health plans, and the state of Minnesota.

Alliance Membership

Counties:
Ramsey, Dakota, Washington

Hospitals:
Regions, United, and M Health Fairview Hospitals

Consumer Organizations:
NAMI Minnesota, Minnesota Recovery Connection, Mental Health Minnesota

Health Plans:
UCare, Medica, Blue Cross Blue Shield, HealthPartners

State of Minnesota:
DHS Behavioral Health

Contact Information

If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis find your local crisis team here.

If you would like more information about the Alliance and how to participate in our efforts, contact Roger Meyer, project director, at roger@mightyconsulting.org

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