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.