Utica, NY – The Neighborhood Center Inc. has hired Kristin Sauerbier, L.C.S.W. as the new Mobile Crisis Assessment Team (MCAT) Director. Sauerbier will oversee the six-county MCAT which includes: Crisis Counselor services for Oneida, Herkimer, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, and Chenango counties; Crisis Case Management and Peer Advocate personnel to provide emergency mental health and substance abuse services for the communities.
Sauerbier brings with her 10 years of crisis-intervention experience where she has worked as an Emergency Room social worker for level-one and community hospitals, as a social worker in Pediatric intensive care and out-patient Behavioral Health primary care settings. Opportunities at Albany Medical Center and Mohawk Valley Health System have honed her skills related to mental health, child welfare, trauma, substance abuse, sexual assault, and end-of-life grief and loss.
“Being allowed the opportunity to walk alongside people in their most vulnerable and delicate moments is a privilege. Mobile Crisis is about the ability to honor a human’s intrinsic dignity and story and support them in their process of health and healing. I am beyond thrilled to be a part of an agency where the mission aligns with that of my personal and professional values and ethics to provide the highest level of care and support to our communities.”
Sauerbier earned her Masters of Social Work from the University at Albany School of Social Welfare. In her free time, you can find her hiking the Adirondack region or on the ski slopes with her family.
The goal of the MCAT program is a proactive approach to Emergency Room diversion of care by maintaining safety for persons in the community with appropriate linkage to services. If you or someone you know is in crisis, referrals may be made to the Mobile Crisis Assessment Team 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year with the phone number: 315-272-MCAT. Crisis Counselors are on-call 24/7 to speak with community members.
