Omaha Police connecting mental health professionals, first responders
The Omaha Police Department co-hosted the fifth annual Co-Responder Conference at CHI Health Center. The Omaha Police Department co-hosted the fifth annual Co-Responder Conference at CHI Health Center. Over 900 mental health professionals and first responders from around the country were present to discuss how these programs can grow and improve in their respective cities. The conference was a chance for co-responders to collaborate and share insights into improving these programs. In Omaha, the department reports that they average around 900 mental healthcare related service calls a month. The program in Omaha was formed in 2018 and focuses on having a mental health professional assist law enforcement officers in responding to situations that may involve mental health crisis.
게시됨 : 11개월 전 ~에 의해 Erin Hartley ~에 Health
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The Omaha Police Department co-hosted the fifth annual Co-Responder Conference at CHI Health Center.
Over 900 mental health professionals and first responders were in attendance from around the country.
It’s a chance for co-responders to collaborate and share insight into how these programs can grow and improve in each city.
“When we have a crisis we want to make sure that people are getting the right services at the right time by the right person. So making sure that we have those services in place, I think cities across the U.S. are saying we have to have the right solution and they’re looking to these type of programs to say this is what we need,” says Robert McKeirnan, Police Sergeant with Olathe, Kansas PD.
Here in Omaha the department says they average around 900 mental health related service calls a month.
“Those numbers are face to face interactions that we’ve had with people, not counting countless phone calls we’ve made or connecting with other providers or family members to make sure that individuals are really getting their needs met,” says Lindsay Kroll, Mental Health Coordinator for the Omaha Police Department.
The co-responder program in Omaha was formed back in 2018. It focuses on having a mental health professional assist law enforcement officers in responding to situations that may involve a mental health crisis.
A co-responder is embedded in each precinct. The department also has a youth specific co-responder that works closely with the school districts in the city.
“Especially if we’re responding to a crime scene or a critical incident. They’re there to do what they need to do as law enforcement and sometimes there’s traumatic incidents that happen for people that cause a lot of emotional disruption for families, friends, neighbors. So we’re able to partner with them and help those folks work through that traumatic experience,” says Kroll.
주제: Social Issues