A team of mental health professionals across the county are working together to provide a Mental Health Diversion program. 

When 911 receives an emotional crisis call, they are trained to ask specific questions.

If the person meets certain criteria, dispatch can direct the call to a mental health professional at UHS.

The patients will receive help by phone or the hospital's mobile team can go to their location. 

Officials say not only will callers have better treatment, but it eliminates the need for law enforcement reponse and unneccesary hospital bills.

"And to get the message out that it's not always required that you go to an emergency room and it's not always required that you're hospitalized," said Michael Hatch, the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier crisis intervention team coordinator. "There is help available and recovery is possible."

The program started in December and is the first of its kind in the state.