Sounds of Sarah, Inc., a Lake County-based nonprofit 501c3, dedicated to prevention, education, and public health services, has been selected as one of Indiana’s inaugural Mobile Crisis Accelerator Program (MCAP) grantees. The award will enable the organization to launch a Mobile Crisis Unit to respond directly to residents experiencing mental health or substance use crises, providing on-site deescalation, overdose prevention, and linkage to care.
Through MCAP funding and technical assistance, Sounds of Sarah will pair licensed clinicians with trained peer support specialists to ensure timely, compassionate, and culturally responsive care across Lake County. Services will be available via a dedicated crisis warmline, and the new Crisis Care Connection mobile app, which will allow residents to connect instantly to trained crisis responders and community resources.
"Lake County has one of the highest overdose rates in Indiana, and too many people in crisis face long waits or end up in emergency rooms or jail," said Patty Stovall, President/CEO of Sounds of Sarah. "This $1 million grant allows us to meet people where they are in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods and make sure they have immediate, life-saving help and ongoing support."
In 2023, Lake County reported 155 overdose deaths among the highest in the state and continues to face shortages of mental health providers, long wait times for care, and barriers for uninsured residents. The Sounds of Sarah Mobile Crisis Unit will operate around the clock, prioritizing underserved and rural communities, and coordinate with 988, 911, law enforcement, schools, and local service providers.
What This Means for Lake County:
Sounds of Sarah joins four other organizations serving Porter, St. Joseph, Allen, and Vanderburgh counties in the statewide MCAP cohort, coordinated by Black Onyx Management.
For more information about the Sounds of Sarah Mobile Crisis Unit, visit www.soundsofsarah.org.
