Police

Our Social Services Coordinator is a vital community resource for residents.

Many times, in the past, the only choice our residents had to handle a mental health crisis was to call 911 and have a visit from the police department. Although that can still be the best path, that is not always the case. Such a call can even make a situation more difficult. For the last several years, the Mt. Lebanon Police Department has been working on a program to offer services to our residents to go beyond law enforcement. This new staff position connects residents in need with mental health resources. Having this liaison will also help lighten the workload of police, who aren’t equipped to provide extensive support. She also will be following up on cases to see if further help is needed.

In her role, the coordinator will identify individuals in need of assistance, provide resources to them and potentially prevent a mental health crisis from occurring. While not a therapist, she also may train officers and municipal staff on mental health conditions, mental health first aid, suicide prevention and self-care initiatives.

She also will provide support and also serve as an information source to our schools, houses of worship, library and other groups. She can even tailor specific programs to these groups in ways that will best help their particular needs. Additionally, she is equipped to help members of the public apply for benefits and she can recommend supportive programs.

Meet Mt. Lebanon’s Social Services Coordinator, Jaqui Stilson

Jaqui graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and social work and a master’s degree in social work. For more than seven years, she worked at Resolve and is also on the negotiation team for the South Hills Area Council of Governments Critical Incident Response Team.

She has been in the field for about 13 years and has worked in a variety of mental health settings:

Homelessness/housing
Victim services
HIV/AIDS
Mental health crisis
Mental health hospital diversion program
Textbook contributing author on the topic of crisis intervention

Some of the situations she will handle include: hoarding, behavioral analysis, crisis analysis, elder care and family conflict.

To reach out to Jaqui, you may contact her via email.

Resources

Jaqui has compiled these emergency contact information points for public use:

General Resources

BigBurgh.com – Mobile-optimized website to point citizens to services for basic needs.

211 – Service run by the United Way of Southwestern PA. Can direct residents to services and agencies around the area. They are able to provide text messages with links to information. The number is dialed 2-1-1, similar to 911.

Food Bank – Regional food bank that will help you locate local food resources (412) 460-3663 x456 or 727

Housing/Rental Assistance

Allegheny Link – Coordinated entry point for housing services within the county. This is how to access bed space for emergency shelter. (866) 730-2368

RentHelpPGH – Local organization that will help with eviction prevention. You do not need an eviction notice to receive help from them. (412) 534-6600

Just Mediation Pittsburgh – Facilitates mediations between landlords and tenants. Please consult their website, justmediationpgh.org, because income limits apply (412) 228-0730

Allegheny Housing Stabilization Collective – Run by ACTION Housing and intended to help avoid eviction (412) 248-0021

Children/Youth

Allegheny Family Network – Agency run by parents of children with mental health and/or complex medical needs. Provides support to parents and families of children with similar needs. (412) 246-2030

Parent Support Chatline – Phone number for parents to call and receive peer support and advice from other parents (888) 273-2361

UpStreet – Provides free services for children and young adults ages 12-22. Also provides peer mentoring for teens. Their website (upstreetpgh.org) provides live chat with a therapist and drop-in hours. Chat runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from M-F. On Saturday and Sunday the service runs 2 to 10 p.m. (412) 586-3732

Resolve Crisis Services – 24/7 crisis intervention service provided to anyone within the boundaries of Allegheny County. Children over 14 can call without parental consent. (888) 796-8226

Childline – Statewide hotline to report suspected child abuse or neglect for investigation by a local CYF agency (800) 932-0313)

LGBT Youth Talkline – Line for LGBT+ youth to talk to LGBT+ peers, who are trained volunteers. Service runs 4-12pm M-F, 12p-5pm on Saturdays. The line is not open on Sunday. (800) 246-7743

Seniors

Older Adult Protective Services – Phone number to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a senior citizen (412) 350-6905

Area Agency on Aging/Senior Line – Non-emergency number to seek support for an older adult in your life. This is a service of Allegheny County. (412) 350-5460

Substance Use

Pathway to Care and Recovery – Free service to help residents of Allegheny County become connected to substance use treatment and rehabilitation services. They can help determine appropriate level of care and help with admission process. (412) 325-7550

PA Get Help Now – Statewide hotline for assistance in locating drug and alcohol services (800) 662-4357

Alcoholics Anonymous – Phone number to help locate local AA meetings. (412) 471-7472

Narcotics Anonymous – Phone number to help you locate local NA meetings. (412) 391-5247

UPMC Mercy and UPMC are both equipped with detox units
Western Psychiatric Hospital can provide ambulatory detox from alcohol

Mental Health

Resolve Crisis Services – 24/7 crisis intervention service provided to anyone within the boundaries of Allegheny County. Mobile teams can meet with service users anywhere within the county. Walk-In can help provide linkage to services and/or hospital diversion. Phone support is available 24/7. (888) 796-8226

NAMI Keystone or namikeystonepa.org – Support groups for family members and individuals (youth and adult) with mental health disorders. NAMI also provides education programs. (412) 366-3788

Crisis Text Line – Crisis chat/text service run by the national suicide lifeline. The text line is staffed by trained individuals across the country. Text HOME to 741741

Trevor Project – National suicide lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth. The service runs 24/7. (866) 488-7386