Cookeville Will Explore Grant Funding For More Specific Crisis Response

The City of Cookeville will explore the possibility of grant funding to provide a collaborative response from emergency personnel to crisis situations.

Police Chief Randy Evans explained in a city council work session Monday night that they want to address issues of mental illness and homelessness in the city.

“We are attempting to train our officers as part of CIT or ‘Crisis Intervention Training,'” Evans said. “We send officers to that and it helps them deal with individuals in distress, either emotionally or mentally ill.”

Major Ken Sircy said the program is called “CAHOOTS,” which stands for “Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets.”

City Council will vote on whether to enter an agreement with the National Alliance on Mental Illness Tennessee Thursday. The agreement states the city would move forward with this type of crisis training should they receive the state funding. Currently, the city operates a similar program using regional grant funding.

If the city chooses to move forward with the agreement, it will be the first program of its kind in the state.

“NAMITN has recognized that our community has the resources to be viable for that,” Sircy said. “Meaning volunteer, behavioral, mental health and other health entities in our city.”

The program could help in calls for suicide attempts, suicide threats, mental problem crises, psychiatric crises, or mental health crises requiring escorts.