Cookeville PD To Implement New Program For Response to Mental Crises Or Substance Abuse Issues

Cookeville Police Department working to implement a new program to help respond to calls dealing with mental illness or substance abuse.

Retired Major Ken Sircy is working to facilitate a grant with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). He said ultimately, this serves as an alternative response and a better response for those suffering from mental crises or substance abuse disorders.

“This goes one step beyond just having a co-responder because a co-responder is ultimately tied to the officer they’re riding with,” Sircy said. “That officer may be dispatched to the call that has nothing to do with the specialty of that co-responder that we have.”

PIO Lieutenant Anthony Leonard said a new agreement with NAMI would replace the current contract with Substance Abuse Solutions (SAS). He said the idea is to partner with three entities: local communities, local public safety officers, and mental health experts.

“We’ll have an EMT, for Cookeville that will specifically be someone from the fire department, and then that person will be partnered with a social worker, a person trained to deal with those people who are suffering from mental health and substance abuse disorder, and they would now be a direct option that dispatch can send directly to a call,” Sircy said. “So they do not have to be there with police or police can come there and health stabilize a scene if necessary and then carry on while the people on that team take the time necessary to get this person help.”

Sircy said they are just about finished with the year-one planning period of the grant. He said they are also working on a compliance guide that will serve to aid the program’s sustainability. He said once they find a vehicle for the response teams to use, they hope to implement the program officially by August.

“This is something that we strive for all of our officers to be certified and receive training in crisis intervention,” Leonard said. “Looking for ways to serve the community and serve someone who is in a mental health crisis in a better way. We also train all of our officers for mental health first aid. That is literally providing that first aid, that first moment of care to someone who is living in a crisis situation and how we can provide help to them get through this.”