Crisis Intervention Services

Join our Webinar at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021

Responding to Crisis: The intersectionality of the criminal justice and community healthcare systems 

Join the City of Rochester, the Department of Recreation and Human Services,  partner agencies Greater Rochester Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) and SUNY Brockport Institute for Poverty Studies and Economic Development for a virtual Question & Answer panel discussion about:

• Overview of intersectional approaches in health care
• Innovative solutions to address the mental health crisis
• New programs that put intersectional approaches into practice

Just want to watch? View the live webstream at: https://youtube.com/c/CityofRochesterVideos

The Office of Crisis Intervention Services is a unit of the City's Department of Recreation and Human Services. The goal of the office is to create a comprehensive, community-based response to support victims and families dealing with homicides, mental health, domestic violence, and other related crises. This office is comprised of the Person In Crisis Team, the Homicide Response Team, the Family and Crisis Intervention Team (FACIT) and Victim Assistance Unit (VAU).

Person in Crisis (PIC) Team  

The Person In Crisis (PIC) Team will respond to mental health and substance abuse crises. A coordinated response to crisis calls is essential to making sure that these calls for help are handled appropriately and that those in crises are given the type of care they need. By mobilizing highly trained emergency response social workers, and through a partnership with the Goodwill of the Finger Lakes 211 Lifeline Call-center, we can employ more effective ways of connecting people to the services they need. Through this strategic partnership, we can ensure a 24/7 call response to all City of Rochester zip codes, with the ultimate goal of diverting crisis calls to other selective dispatch first responders.

The goals of the PIC Team are to:

• Increase connection to community crisis services that meet the need, by de-escalating crisis calls;
• Divert crisis call coming in to 911 to the most appropriate response option, activating law only when needed; and
• Strengthen supports post crisis to address full range of needs to stabilize and prevent future crises. 

The Homicide Response Team

Family and Crisis Intervention Team (FACIT) Provides:

• Crisis counseling to victims directly after the crisis has occurred
• Assesses and counsels clients and connects to services
• Coordinates between service providers and follows up

  
 Victim Assistance Unit

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you are threatened in any way. You have a right to be protected against intimidation and harm.

• Crisis support services after a crime
• Home or hospital visits
• Explanation of the criminal justice system
• Referrals to other agencies
• Transportation to and from court for victims and witnesses who have exhausted all other means of transportation
• Assistance in filing NYS Crime Victim Compensation

Important Numbers: 

The Victim Assistance Unit does not distribute cash, reimburse for stolen property or advocate for defendants. 

Victims of crime, survivors of a homicide victim or children who have witnessed a crime may be entitled to compensation benefits through the NYS Crime Victims Board and may include:

• Uncovered medical expenses
• Lost wages 
• Funeral expenses 
• Essential personal property 
• Counseling services
• Transportation costs to court 
• Loss of support benefits 
• Rehabilitation services

 If you are the victim of a family (domestic) offense, you have the right to:

• Bring charges both in Criminal and Family Courts
• Request an Order of Protection (OOP), which may require that the offender stop threatening or harming you, or staying away from you entirely 
• An OOP can be issued in both Criminal Court and Family Court 
• A Criminal Court may issue an OOP to any victim and/or witness listed on the crime report once an arrest is made and the offender is arraigned before a Criminal Court judge. 
• You may be eligible in Family Court if you currently are married or ever have been married to the offender, blood relatives, have a child in common, or are current or former intimate partners.

There are two types of Orders of Protection (OOP): 

• No Contact OOP: The offender is not to have any contact with the victim.
• No Offensive Contact OOP: The offender can have contact with the victim but cannot physically harm, or threaten to harm, the victim.  

Warrants:

To file for a warrant for a person’s arrest, bring your copy of the Crime Report to Room 270 (second floor) of the City Public Safety Building where you can see a police paralegal. Call (585) 428-6571 for general inquiries.

District Attorney:

The District Attorney's Office (DA's) is the prosecuting attorney who represents the interests of the State and victim concerns throughout the criminal case.
Pre-Trial Release: A defendant is interviewed before and after arraignment to determine eligibility of non-financial release and to assess the defendants likelihood to return to court.

Types of Offenses: 

Violations are the least serious of offenses; Felonies and Misdemeanors are the most serious crimes punishable according to the New York State Penal Law. 

Other Resources:

Monroe County Sheriff Inmate Information

New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Inmate Lookup

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are committed to protecting the public and ensuring that the rights of victims are carefully observed. HSI administers a Victim Notification Program, which allows eligible victims and witnesses to obtain reliable and timely information regarding a criminal aliens release from custody. Visit the ICE Website to register and for more information.