Danielle Ashton, a social worker from Rochester, New York, never knows where her job’s going to take her. Under bridges, on a city street, inside someone’s home. And she never knows whom she’s going to be helping.
But no matter where she goes or whom she meets as a member of Rochester’s Person In Crisis (PIC) team, Ashton’s goal remains the same: “To help people.”
Ashton is part of a small but growing team of first-responder mental health professionals established in 2021 by the City of Rochester with a mandate to help non-violent residents dealing with mental health crises.
“No day is the same,” says Ashton, a member of AFSCME Local 1635 (Council 66). And that’s the way she likes it.
Ashton and her coworkers may receive calls to help people who are suicidal or homicidal; perform welfare checks; comfort troubled teens; or work with unhoused people in need of services, and more.
“The goal is to support the person in crisis,” says Ashton.
When a call comes into Rochester’s 911 system or their 211 Lifeline support number, which is for suicide or crisis intervention, Ashton and her fellow PIC teammates are dispatched the same way as other first responders.
And though the situations she encounters are as varied as Rochester’s citizens, as a trained social worker, Ashton is always assessing, evaluating and providing the best services for the individual with whom she’s working.
Sometimes that means being a comforting voice, which can make the difference between someone harming themselves or not. Other times, it means getting someone life-saving medications that they’ve run out of. She helps distribute basic needs to Rochester’s homeless population, such as food, socks and coats. And sometimes the best solution is simply listening to people.
“I’m trying to meet people where they are,” says Ashton.
While safety is always a priority, and the PIC team does respond to some calls with law enforcement peers, Ashton says being a plainclothes social worker can help deescalate things.
“People’s response to a social worker is different than an officer in situations where they may have had past experiences that were not good,” says Ashton.
It’s been four years since the PIC team was established, and they’re growing, according to Ashton, which means the services they provide will become even more specialized and targeted to the needs of Rochester’s citizens.
“When you sit and think about [what we do], our team is pretty amazing. Some things are mind blowing,” she says.
For Ashton, her work “defines [her] why.” And there are personal motivations that drive her, as well.
“I’m passionate about my work,” Ashton says. “I have lost a loved one to suicide. I lost a brother to gun violence. There’s so many things that have impacted me in which other people have shown up for me. To be on the other end, to be that listening ear, is awesome.”