LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department and Lake County Behavioral Health have entered a formal partnership to allow crisis staff to work directly with police officers in the field and at the police station.
Last year, the Lakeport City Council and Lake County Board of Supervisors authorized an agreement between the Lakeport Police Department and Lake County Behavioral Health Services to allow the agencies to work together in crisis response.
Starting this month, Behavioral Health crisis staff will be working out of the police station and with police officers in the field, according to Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said this agreement is part of a collaborative spirit between the two agencies and expected to help them provide better service to those in need of Behavioral Health assistance.
“Many of our police calls for service involve persons in need of behavioral health assistance,” Rasmussen said. “Although police officers do have special training in responding to persons in need of behavioral health care, this partnership will be valuable in providing more expertise and faster response to those persons in need.”
Lake County statistics show that approximately 60 percent of behavioral health clients have initial contact with law enforcement prior to being escorted to the hospital emergency departments, Rasmussen said.
With crisis staff housed at the Lakeport Police Department, this will allow them to be available to go out into the community with crisis and welfare checks coming in through police dispatch, Rasmussen explained.
Rasmussen added, “This allows a team of law enforcement personnel and Behavioral Health specialists to respond together, providing an invaluable blend of skills and techniques to use in crisis situations that ensure the utmost quality of services to the client while providing safety for law enforcement and Behavioral Health staff.”
Lakeport Police Department, Lake County Behavioral Health partner to offer crisis response
- Lake County News reports
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