Mobile crisis services to be available to assist law enforcement officers

Mobile crisis services will be available to work with law enforcement officers in Southeast Iowa Link counties this year.

The mobile crisis service would be a response from mental health professionals to provide in-person intervention for people experiencing a mental health crisis. SEIL serves the counties of Henry, Washington, Jefferson, Des Moines, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa and Van Buren.

The mobile crisis service is a piece of the mental health bill passed by the Legislature in 2018.

'The idea is they would go to the scene of the crisis. That crisis could be in the person's home, in the city park, restaurant, it's wherever the crisis is occurring,” said Sandy Stever, coordinator of disability services for Jefferson and Van Buren counties.

SEIL is developing requests for proposals (RFPs) for mental health providers throughout the SEIL counties for mobile crisis services. Stever said she hopes to send RFPs by the end of January. Proposals will start being reviewed in March.

Stever said her goal is services to be up and running by July 1. Mobile crisis services would be available 24/7.

Stever said she has no idea how many mental health providers will respond to the RFP, but they are hoping for 'a number of them” because there are eight counties to cover.

'We're hoping there's a provider covering every county,” Stever said.

Stever said SEIL is making sure the mobile crisis services will be managed right. The providers who submit a proposal will need letters of support or acknowledgment of law enforcement agencies in the area who they will be working with, Stever said.

'It's all about law enforcement getting the call, and they will initiate the mobile crisis services,” Stever said.

Stever said that the number of people with mental health problems who end up in jail is 'escalating.” She hopes mobile crisis services will direct people in crisis to the resources they need instead of having the situation escalate to the point where the person is doing something illegal.

'This is not a ‘get out of jail free' card,” Stever said. 'If something happens and they did do something because they're mentally ill like rob a bank, they're going to go to jail.”

Mobile crisis services is about getting people connected to the right services, Stever said.

Mobile crisis services will be able to screen people to see if they need to be transported to a psychiatric hospital or need other intervention like an appointment with a mental health provider.

Law enforcement will always be on the scene, and will be able to secure the area if they think a situation is not safe.

'Law enforcement will always be in charge,” Stever said. '(Mobile crisis services) will hopefully minimize the trauma that occurs when a person is picked up by law enforcement.”

Stever said in every neighborhood in every community in every town, there is probably someone with a mental health disorder. She hopes the mobile crisis services will be a way to bring mental health problems to light and provide people with services to help them.

Sarah Berndt, coordinator of disability services in Henry County, said mobile crisis services will help people in the environment they're most comfortable in, whether it's their home or at least their home community.

'it will reduce the trauma and stress and introduce you to services to get wellness back in your life,” Berndt said. 'It's a core service the regions need to be providing.”

SEIL met with law enforcement officers earlier this month to assess their questions and concerns about mobile crisis services. Berndt said law enforcement was 'very positive” about mobile crisis services.

SEIL is continuing to encourage law enforcement officers to get trained in crisis intervention training (CIT), but it is not a requirement of working with mobile crisis services.

Mt. Pleasant Police Chief Ron Archer said that right now, the only alternative for someone in a mental health crisis is taking them down to the emergency room. Mobile crisis services might prevent that.

'It would be better for the hospital, for us and for the patient,” Archer said. 'It's still going to tie up some officer time, but maybe it would take less time if we can have someone meet with them in their residence rather than taking them to the ER.

'I think it's a good program, and I'll be glad to see when it gets fully implemented,” Archer said.

Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee said the program is a great opportunity for the region.

McNamee said the mobile crisis services will definitely make a difference for the community and for the officers. While there will still be circumstances where a person will need to be committed or a violent situation will need to be monitored by law enforcement, McNamee said the mobile crisis services will conserve the Sheriff's Office's resources.

'I think we've taken some large steps for mentally (ill) people,” McNamee said.