A new partnership between Grand Lake Mental Health Center and local law enforcement is changing the way police handle situations involving mental health issues. iPads are being used to help connect citizens in need with mental health professionals who can offer assistance quickly — a good thing for both the patient and the officer handling the call.
“We respond to calls pretty much daily involving citizens who are experiencing some type of mental health issue,” said BPD Detective Jim Warring, who worked on the implementation of the program. “In the past, this was a lengthy process — the citizen was taken to the hospital, a mental health professional was contacted and eventually arrived at the hospital to conduct an evaluation.
“Now we can access that professional through the use of an iPad, without even having to transport the patient to the hospital or other facility. That has shortened the length of the process greatly and has made things better — and safer — for both the officers and the people they are trying to help.”
Warring says it’s important to note that while most people experiencing a mental health issue are not dangerous, if the police have been contacted for help, violence is often at least a possibility.
“If we’ve been called in to help, there is usually a need to secure the individual to make sure they don’t hurt themselves or someone else, so getting them in touch with a mental health professional quickly is key,” he said.
The new technology is made possible thanks to the efforts of Grand Lake Mental Health Center, which recently won a national award for the program.
“Grand Lake Mental Health Center, Inc. received a National Award for ‘Excellence in Technology’ from the National Council on Behavioral Health,” said Jennifer Leggett, clinical development administrator for GLMC.
Leggett said the program utilized by the police department is part of GLMHC’s “Intensive Outpatient Center,” which operates 24/7 and is the hub for use of iPad for people in crisis.
“GLMHC uses technology to meet clients where they are to best serve their needs,” Leggett said. “iPads are used by law enforcement and local hospitals to quickly access mental health professionals and reduce ER wait times and police transports (to mental health facilities).”
For more information about GLMHC, visit www.glmhc.net. To view a video about the program, see Out Patient Services.