Crisis To Care Collaborative
from crisis
to care
When someone is experiencing a behavioral or mental health crisis, the right response can make all the difference. The Crisis to Care (CTC) Collaborative is bringing together leaders and partners from sectors across Erie County to build a more coordinated, compassionate, and effective crisis response system for our community.
Community Listening Session
October 22, 2025 | 5:00-7:00PM
Villa Maria College’s Russell J. Salvatore Commons
240 Pine Ridge Road, Buffalo, NY
We want to hear from you! The Crisis to Care Collaborative, a first of its kind initiative to improve mental health crisis response, wants to hear your thoughts and experiences with the local mental health crisis care system. Your perspective can help inform change!
our goals
To ensure that people in Erie County experiencing a behavioral health emergency receive accessible, effective behavioral health crisis stabilization services and follow-up care.
To reduce the likelihood that people in Erie County experiencing a behavioral health emergency are arrested or brought to ECMC’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP).
understanding the model
The work of the CTC Collaborative focuses on end-to-end improvements across the behavioral health crisis response continuum—from the initial call through the delivery of care. Our approach is guided by the national framework developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services – Someone to Call, Someone to Respond, and Somewhere to Go.
someone to call
Improving how behavioral health-related crisis calls are identified and process.
someone to respond
Ensuring call takers can dispatch mobile crisis teams and/or co-response units in lieu of a traditional police/fire/
EMS response.
somewhere to go
Improving access to effective stabilization services so that individuals in crisis have a place to go for immediate care.
our approach
The CTC Collaborative will be guided by these core principles:
education
Ensuring all stakeholders have the knowledge they need to navigate behavioral health crises effectively
collaboration
Bringing together law enforcement, first responders, healthcare providers, and community organizations to create a more effective system
transparency
An open and evolving effort – responsive to community inputs and committed to accountability and continuous improvement
results
Achieving meaningful and lasting improvements to transform a broken system