Seven mobile crisis-response grants allow ‘better treatment, a lot quicker’ for people undergoing mental-health crises
Kentucky Health News
Seven local-government organizations are getting grants to start community crisis co-response programs, which form partnerships between behavioral-health professionals, law enforcement or other first responders and local governments in order to lower the distress of individuals in crisis and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and incarcerations while extending crisis services to communities.
The money comes through a state Cabinet for Health and Family Services grant. The recipients are Boyle County, Christian County, the Cynthiana Police Department, the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government, the Maysville Police Department, the Perry County Ambulance Authority and the Warren County sheriff, in Bowling Green.
Perry County EMT Scott Helle told Hazard’s WYMT that in a mental-health crisis, taking a patient to a hospital can be a burden on hospital staff and adding “wait time for their patients to be able to see a mental-health provider.” The grant will allow the ambulance service to add a community paramedic, peer support specialist or case manager to its staff.
Robert Peak, assistant police chief in Cynthiana, said This will be an invaluable resource to the most vulnerable members of our citizenry. Realizing that mental health and chemical dependency cannot be fully addressed by traditional police strategies is key to implementing programs such as this.”
Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower said, “Having qualified professionals working alongside our team of law enforcement will help expedite and assess the needed care for those in crisis, which better serves our community.”