Bello announces changes for mental health, substance use care in Monroe County

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Monroe County is changing the way it delivers care for mental health and substance abuse disorders in the community.

County Executive Adam Bello says the county will match the city’s $300,000 investment with an additional $360,000 for the county’s Forensic Intervention Team. The team partners Office of Mental Health clinicians with law enforcement to respond to crisis calls and help connect people in need with outpatient services.

The funding will allow this team to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The county will also create an improving Addiction Coordination Team and a Mental Health and Substance Abuse Redesign Task Force.

The changes come in the wake of Daniel Prude’s death.

"Daniel Prude’s death tragically showed that this is a model that doesn’t work and it must be changed because a one size fits all solution can’t and won’t work for every emergency and every situation we encounter," Bello said.

According to the county executive, the infusion of funding is just a short-term effort to deal with the community’s current needs. He said bigger, more systematic changes are being discussed by a new task force he is putting together.

For full coverage on the death of Daniel Prude, click here.