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Now in its second year, the mobile crisis response partnership between the Steamboat Springs Police Department and local provider Mind Springs Health is increasingly valuable and well-utilized, both organizations say.
The program It included 86 crisis responses in 2021, with police officers calling in a mental health responder from Mind Springs when the situation allowed. As of the end of July this year, the program has been used 62 times, Steamboat Springs Police Chief Sherry Burlingame said.
“Many of the calls we go through have some sort of mental health connection,” Burlingame said. “We deal with a lot of people who are in some kind of mental health crisis. They[Mind Springs]could triple or quadruple their staff, I think, and we could use them.
Mind Springs has responded to assist police an average of seven times per month in 2021 and nine times per month so far in 2022.
“The PD is probably more familiar with the program and more educated on when it’s appropriate to call us,” said Gina Tutaker, Mind Springs’ local program director.
“We have a good relationship with Mind Springs. When they come out and respond with us, they do an incredible job,” Burlingame said. “But at the end of the day, we need more clinics, we need more facilities.”
Toothaker agreed that many times community members involved with law enforcement have some underlying mental health or substance abuse issues.
“I am happy that they (police officers) are using the program more. Our crisis clinics really love these calls; They like to go with law enforcement,” Toothaker said. “They feel it’s a better way to give back to the community. The people get help faster, and we avoid the situations we had a long time ago when the police brought the person to the PD or emergency room.
In the past, people in crisis who weren’t supported by a mental health provider were “already upset or frustrated with law enforcement,” Totaker said, adding that the current mobile response is “helping people find stability quickly.”
Mind Springs currently has two master’s level clinics dedicated to mobile crisis response, with one crisis responder working half a month at a time. Crisis responders will respond to Rott County schools, jails, doctor’s offices, homes and other cellphone calls to the new 988 statewide crisis hotline.
Toothaker said the hiring of new crisis workers is limited by both the cost of living in the Yampa Valley as well as the national shortage of mental health care workers. However, with the program’s success, Toothaker hopes to secure funding and staff to create a true collaborative response program by the fall of 2023.
“Sherry and I both want to see this program expand into a true ‘co-respondent’ model, with Mind Springs clinics based in PD,” Toothaker said. “Then the mental health provider can be there and assess the situation from the beginning and de-escalate it.”
Expanding to a true co-respondent model could include providing integrated services through the Rott County Sheriff’s Office in the future, Toothaker said. Currently, Mind Springs does not have a contract with the Sheriff’s Office, but does respond to various calls, especially when requested by the state crisis line in Hayden or South Routt County.
Burlingame and Toothaker both said community members or business owners can call 911 when they believe someone is in danger of harming themselves or others.
Here’s Burlingame’s advice before responders arrive: “Be careful how you interact with them.” Ask them questions, but don’t try to provoke them. Give them options and choices such as ‘You can stay here or you can leave’. Allow them to have a voice.
However, unless a person with a mental health problem exhibits behaviors that could harm someone, calling 911 is not recommended.
The police chief said most of the department’s current officers have completed 40 hours of crisis intervention training and new officers will be sent to the training in 2023.
Tutaker said one way community members can help with mental health in the Valley and learn when to call 911 for mental health issues is to attend or schedule a half-day mental health first aid class. She said hundreds of people have taken the training in hospitals, colleges, schools and some service agencies. Interested organizations or individuals can call Mind Springs to find out how to schedule a class or learn.
To reach Susie Romig, call 970-871-4205 or email sromig@SteamboatPilot.com.
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