CORNELIUS, N.C. — Four police departments in North Carolina are adding mental health professionals to staff thanks to grants from the Governor’s Crime Commission.
What You Need To Know
Grants from the Governor’s Crime Commission are helping four N.C. police departments add mental health professionals
Co-responder Clinician Loleita Page joined the Cornelius Police Department earlier this year, helping prevent situations from escalating
Cornelius Police said providing support for people experiencing a mental health crisis is a priority
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Gastonia Police Department and Lincolnton Police Department also received grants from the Governor’s Crime Commission
The Cornelius Police Department recently hired a mental health clinician who will pair up with officers and respond to certain scenes to prevent situations from escalating.
Co-responder Clinician Loleita Page is familiarizing herself with the Town of Cornelius.
“I’m learning the resources and making sure I’m providing the services the community needs,” Page said.
With a background in law enforcement and a master’s degree in social work, she now serves this community as the first mental health clinician for Cornelius PD.
“My goal is to help to alleviate the work for the officers regarding the mental health piece,” Page said.
Page responds to officers, if needed, after they secure the scene.
“Whenever they’re calling the police, they’re at a moment of distress, and so therefore they want the officer, but they also, a lot of times they need somebody to listen and to just hear them out or to provide them with services or resources, because they are calling 911 because they don’t know anything else,” Page said.
This program was made possible, in part, thanks to a grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission and a partnership with affiliated group Santé.
“I like helping people,” Page said.
According to Cornelius Police, providing support for people experiencing mental health crises is a priority and says the co-responder program can help improve outcomes.
“If there’s an ongoing problem, if there’s it is a domestic violence situation and you can kind of cut it before it gets to the point where it becomes violent, then makes life easier for everyone,” Page said.
Last year alone, Cornelius Police responded to calls that would have benefited from a mental health clinician on staff. The department received 58 calls of someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis and 19 attempted suicide calls.
Santé also has a mobile crisis team in Mecklenburg County but having Page in house makes a difference.
“I can provide a quicker response time, so therefore they don’t have to wait that extended period of time because somebody’s like getting caught in traffic or just whatever, I can provide that here,” Page said.
Page is also following up on cases and looks forward to the impact this job will bring.
“We are trying to make sure that the services that are in place and that we are providing that care for them in real time,” Page said.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Gastonia Police Department and Lincolnton Police Department also received grants from the Governor’s Crime Commission.
The Governor’s Crime Commission called the Community Mental Health Initiative a priority.
If you need help, you can contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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