As mental health calls increase, Maine police seek and find backup ways to respond
Share
During his first six months as the Biddeford Police Department s community engagement specialist, Jacob Hammer has handled 314 referrals of people in crisis or struggling with their mental health. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
On June 16, one man called Biddeford police more than 15 times. Sometimes he told dispatchers he needed to talk about his mental health, other times his words didn’t make much sense. He said he didn’t need police officers to check on him, but he kept calling back anyway.
Calls like these to local police departments are increasingly common in Maine and across the country, prompting public safety officials to re-examine how they’re interacting with people with mental illness and to hire mental health clinicians better equipped to work with people in crisis.
Oakland diverts $18M from police to violence-prevention programs
ktvu.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktvu.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Annapolis police budget proposal largely unchanged despite some council members desire for reform
baltimoresun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from baltimoresun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
KDADS and Family Service & Guidance Center Team Up to Provide Crisis Treatment for Families
TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard announced today the agency’s Behavioral Health Services (BHS) Commission has entered into an agreement with Family Service & Guidance Center (FSGC) of Topeka, Inc. to provide immediate crisis services to families and youth with emergency mental health issues.
“We are always looking to engage community partners and provide families a more stable, long-term solution to mental health and substance use treatment,”
Secretary Howard said. “This agreement raises the bar and allows us to move forward with the goal of providing immediate access to care in a safe, therapeutic environment and we believe our work with Family Service & Guidance Center is significant in reaching the program goals and outcomes we have set.”