BRIDGETON, Mo. – The announcement of a collaboration Tuesday will enable law enforcement and mental health experts to work more closely together in the future.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important this collaboration is and such a big development for our community,” St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said.
The new effort, funded by a state crisis intervention program grant for over $1.5 million, creates a big step forward in the region.
“I didn’t understand how much of an intersection there is between mental health and crime until I became a judge,” St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said.
St. Louis and St. Charles County Police Departments, BJC Healthcare, SSM Health, Assisted Recovery Centers of America, and the Compass Health Network all gathered to make the announcement.
“Being able to have a better strategy in a mental health crisis is going to help everyone,” St. Charles County Police Chief Kurt Frisz said. “Keep people safer and get the people that need the mental health services quicker.”
Licensed professional counselors with expertise in suicide intervention and prevention, substance abuse and behavior analysis including threat assessments will work with police crisis intervention teams.
“When our officers receive a call for service and if it is determined to be some aspect of mental health, they will refer to me in a report and I will then contact our mental health clinicians, and we will conduct follow up, offer resources and even offer a ride to a hospital,” Joe Strehl, crisis intervention officer with St. Charles County Police added.
“Police officers are on the streets of the community every day,” Chair Psychiatry SLU, Chief Medical Officer Psychiatry SSM Health Erick Messias said. “They see the people where they are. We are in our hospitals, units, and emergency rooms, and we need to come together to help people.”