Close Menu
  • Home
  • Diabetes
  • Fitness
  • Heart Disease
  • Mental
  • Physical
  • Wellness
  • Yoga
  • Health

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

What's Hot

The percentage of young adults receiving mental health treatment increased by 45% from 2019 to 2022, the largest increase of any age group.

August 1, 2024

Desert Healthcare, Tenet to renew non-compete clause again, vote next week

August 1, 2024

Personalized health coaching may improve cognitive function and reduce dementia risk in older adults

August 1, 2024
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Health Medic NewsHealth Medic News
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • DMCA Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Home
  • Diabetes

    Analysis of Tandem Diabetes Care (NASDAQ:TNDM) and SeaStar Medical (NASDAQ:ICU)

    June 19, 2024

    Diabetes costs in the UK could reach £14 billion, study finds

    June 19, 2024

    Oral semaglutide proves effective for type 2 diabetes and weight loss in Dutch study

    June 18, 2024

    Novo Nordisk considers adding 1,000 jobs in Johnston County as sales of weight-loss drug surge

    June 18, 2024

    Cost of devastating complications highlights need for urgent reform of diabetes care in the UK

    June 18, 2024
  • Fitness

    “National Fitness Day” is the next Apple Watch challenge to be held in China

    July 30, 2024

    The Pininfarina Sintesi is now my favorite fitness tracker, but there’s one thing I’d change.

    July 30, 2024

    Fitness Corner: Exercise and our own mortality

    July 30, 2024

    Fitness World Canada Hosts First Spartan DEKA Event in Surrey

    July 30, 2024

    New Franklin Regional boys soccer coach focuses on building trust, fitness

    July 30, 2024
  • Heart Disease

    Blood test warns of hidden heart disease risk

    July 30, 2024

    Loss of teeth may be a sign of serious heart disease

    July 30, 2024

    Researchers warn that removing race from the heart disease risk equation could lead to 16 million people not taking their medications

    July 29, 2024

    Study identifies 18 proteins associated with heart failure and frailty

    July 29, 2024

    Combined prostate cancer treatment increases risk of heart disease

    July 29, 2024
  • Mental

    Addressing adolescent mental health – the importance of early intervention and support

    June 18, 2024

    MAFS’ Dom updates fans on mental health and the future of his podcast

    June 18, 2024

    Connecting to mental health services is as easy as picking up the phone

    June 18, 2024

    Oklahoma Governor Stitt Opposes Mental Health Consent Decree

    June 18, 2024

    Hand to Hold provides mental health support to families in Texas Children’s Hospital’s NICU

    June 17, 2024
  • Physical

    One-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album to be screened at Australian museum

    June 16, 2024

    Interview: Annie Weisman and Closing the Final Chapter of ‘Physical’

    June 16, 2024

    Physiotherapy helps counter the effects of chemotherapy | News, Sports, Jobs

    June 16, 2024

    Barcelona’s new manager not obsessed with physical development

    June 16, 2024

    YouTuber ImAllexx comes under fire for allegations of physical abuse against ex-girlfriend

    June 15, 2024
  • Wellness

    Top Medical Tourism Destinations: A Global Overview | Corporate Wellness

    March 29, 2024

    OACEUS brings a new way to wellness

    March 29, 2024

    Spotlight on the best countries for medical tourism in 2024 | Corporate Wellness

    March 29, 2024

    Digging Deeper into Medical Tourism: Origins and Operations | Corporate Wellness

    March 29, 2024

    Identifying leading medical tourism organizations around the world | Corporate Wellness

    March 29, 2024
  • Yoga

    Body and mind: Epilepsy patients may benefit from yoga

    July 5, 2024

    Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 (2024) review: A+ multi-threading

    July 5, 2024

    The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x might be the best deal among the new Snapdragon AI PCs

    July 5, 2024

    A Minute with Stavri Ioannou, Yoga Teacher, Mindfulness Educator, and Founder of Kids Alternativities

    July 5, 2024

    7 Places to Work Out Outdoors on the East End This Summer

    July 5, 2024
  • Health

    The percentage of young adults receiving mental health treatment increased by 45% from 2019 to 2022, the largest increase of any age group.

    August 1, 2024

    Desert Healthcare, Tenet to renew non-compete clause again, vote next week

    August 1, 2024

    Personalized health coaching may improve cognitive function and reduce dementia risk in older adults

    August 1, 2024

    Troy University’s College of Health and Human Services to change name effective August 1

    July 30, 2024

    Community Health Systems Announces Definitive Agreement to Sell Three Pennsylvania Hospitals to WoodBridge Healthcare Inc.

    July 30, 2024
Health Medic NewsHealth Medic News
Home » Mental Health Liaison Center is affiliated with the police
Mental

Mental Health Liaison Center is affiliated with the police

perbinderBy perbinderFebruary 24, 2024No Comments7 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit WhatsApp Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp Email


Heather Wells is the new mental health officer for Iowa County Law Enforcement. (Winona Whitaker/Hometown Current)

MARENGO — Both the Marengo and Williamsburg police chiefs say the addition of mental health law enforcement liaisons has reduced the number of calls to some residences.

“It’s really like a dual role,” Williamsburg Police Chief Justin Parsons said. If a person is in danger, the liaison officer can respond to a call to law enforcement. Police officers address public safety issues, and liaison officers address the mental health needs of those involved.

Another role is to follow up on people law enforcement has dealt with, Parsons said.

“From a resource standpoint, we definitely saw results in the follow-up,” Parsons said.

Police officers are often called to the same residence to deal with people known as “frequent flyers.”

“What’s happened to us is that we’ve seen a significant decline in population during that cycle,” Parsons said.

When Parsons became police chief, he said he took over. But he has been a police officer in Iowa County for his 26 years, and “when you come from law enforcement, you have that kind of relationship with people.”

Contact persons are not law enforcement officers. “That’s important for people to know,” Parsons said.

Marengo Police Chief Ben Gray said one of the benefits Benton County would get from having a point of contact would be a reduction in repeat calls. Iowa County reviewed the results of Benton County’s program before starting its own program.

Benton County has seen faster dispatch times and fewer calls to the same people, Gray said. Marengo has seen the same thing.

“Our numbers have dwindled,” Gray said. “We’ve noticed that some callers are calling less frequently.”

Even when law enforcement did respond, “their time on scene was reduced,” Gray said.

“We started the program last February,” Parsons said. The Iowa County Sheriff’s Department, Williamsburg Police Department and Marengo Police Department have hired Unity Stevens from Community Crisis Services in Iowa City as a law enforcement liaison. “He worked with Unity until July.”

Marengo Police Chief Ben Gray said repeat calls have decreased since mental health workers began working with police a year ago. (Winona Whitaker/Hometown Current)

Heather Wells replaced Stevens earlier this year. “I have been working for Community Crisis Services since the fall of 2019,” Wells said. She took online classes at Buena Vista University and graduated with a double major in psychology and human services.

In pursuit of her degree, Wells took classes on rural areas. “That’s what made me want to work here,” she said.

Although Wells is employed by the community, he works with the Iowa County Sheriff’s Department, Williamsburg Police Department, and Marengo Police Department to find resources for people with mental health needs.

Although Wells divides her time evenly between the three law enforcement agencies, she said she has to be flexible. “I base my schedule on where I’m needed.”

Parsons said law enforcement must respond to mental health calls because they can be a public safety issue. People naturally call the police.

“We all know that law enforcement is not equipped to handle these mental health crises,” Parsons said.

“We can take care of the safety aspects,” Parsons said. The police officer then determines whether the person is a criminal or a patient. “So Heather takes over.”

“Correctional facilities are not the place for these people,” Gray said, but when mental health facilities closed, police had nowhere else to take them other than prison.

Police are trained to deal with mental health issues, but not to the extent some people need. “We are not mental health counselors,” Gray said.

Wells said police may respond to people with organic mental health issues during calls. They may also work with people who are experiencing financial hardship, food insecurity, or children with behavioral issues. She assesses each situation and refers people to agencies that can meet their needs.

“This frees up police officer time,” Wells said.

Parsons said officers will call a mental health professional if they believe they are dealing with something that is not a law enforcement role. In some cases, he may just need a follow-up “to make sure it’s stable,” Parsons said.

If Wells isn’t available, CommUnity has mobile crisis counselors available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wells said two crisis counselors will meet with people in need wherever they are. In some cases, the problem can be resolved within 30 minutes. In some cases it may take up to 3 hours.

This service is separate from the liaison, but is also provided by Community Crisis Services, Wells said.

“All of my referrals are from law enforcement,” Wells said. She can direct people to therapists, medication administrators, support groups, behavioral intervention agencies, school advocates, etc., as needed.

Wells has bookmarked all nonprofits for quick response, she said.

Mr Gray said anyone experiencing a mental health crisis could avoid police by calling 988 and speaking directly to a mental health professional. If law enforcement is required due to safety concerns, you should call 911.

Law enforcement agencies have been working for years to reduce the number of mentally ill patients in prisons. When a community is at risk, there may be nothing else that can be done, Parsons said. But that’s just putting a Band-Aid on it.

Parsons said it’s not a good idea to not address the core issues.

Wells says she doesn’t see working in a rural area as a challenge. He said: ‘We’ve found there are a lot of benefits – we’re all staying very, very busy.

“I know all the officers,” Wells said. “They really care about the community.”

But the state gives small communities little aid, putting them at a disadvantage, Wells said. “So sometimes you have to get creative.” She may have to seek help from another county.

Overall, Parsons said there is a lack of resources. Many counties in the East Central Mental Health Region are larger than Iowa counties, including Johnson, Linn, and Dubuque counties. “They consume a lot of resources,” Parsons said.

Officials look at maps and see that Iowa City is close to Iowa County and believe Iowa County could use its resources. “But there are a lot of residents in Iowa County who don’t have the mobility,” Parsons said.

Gray is concerned about whether liaison officers will be funded when the state reorganizes mental health regions into state jurisdictions. If the state does not pay the costs, local governments must do so.

That’s difficult when budgets are already cut. Gray said difficult decisions are being made everywhere.

For the first year, the community funded the liaison effort 100 percent, Gray said, but eventually law enforcement would pay 75 percent and the community would pay 25 percent.

“What’s hurting us is the property tax rollback,” Gray said. “We make up the largest portion of the budget,” he said, so public safety is the first place he looks for budget cuts.

“I understand the concept of very high taxes,” Gray said, but people want 24-hour public safety services. “Property taxes are how we provide services.”

“This position is invaluable,” said Gray, who is in charge of mental health.

“I feel very lucky to be here,” Wells said.





Source link

perbinder
  • Website

Related Posts

Addressing adolescent mental health – the importance of early intervention and support

June 18, 2024

MAFS’ Dom updates fans on mental health and the future of his podcast

June 18, 2024

Connecting to mental health services is as easy as picking up the phone

June 18, 2024

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Don't Miss
Blog

The percentage of young adults receiving mental health treatment increased by 45% from 2019 to 2022, the largest increase of any age group.

By perbinderAugust 1, 20240

A new analysis from KFF finds that the rate of young adults (ages 18-26) receiving…

Desert Healthcare, Tenet to renew non-compete clause again, vote next week

August 1, 2024

Personalized health coaching may improve cognitive function and reduce dementia risk in older adults

August 1, 2024

Troy University’s College of Health and Human Services to change name effective August 1

July 30, 2024
Our Picks

Top Medical Tourism Destinations: A Global Overview | Corporate Wellness

March 29, 2024

OACEUS brings a new way to wellness

March 29, 2024

Spotlight on the best countries for medical tourism in 2024 | Corporate Wellness

March 29, 2024

Digging Deeper into Medical Tourism: Origins and Operations | Corporate Wellness

March 29, 2024
About Us

Welcome to Health Medic News, your trusted source for comprehensive information and insights on health-related topics. At Health Medic News, we are dedicated to providing reliable and up-to-date content to help our readers make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

Our Mission

At Health Medic News, our mission is to empower individuals with the knowledge and resources they need to live healthier lives. We strive to deliver high-quality content that educates, inspires, and motivates our readers to take control of their health and make positive lifestyle changes

Our Picks

“National Fitness Day” is the next Apple Watch challenge to be held in China

July 30, 2024

The Pininfarina Sintesi is now my favorite fitness tracker, but there’s one thing I’d change.

July 30, 2024

Fitness Corner: Exercise and our own mortality

July 30, 2024

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

ads
ads
ads
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • DMCA Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
© 2025 healthmedicnews. Designed by healthmedicnews.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.