Earlier this month, Governor Kay Ivey awarded a grant to AltaPointe Health's CCRT Mental Health Partnership to provide specialized training for law enforcement, correctional officers and first responders in Clay, Coosa, Randolph and Talladega counties. The Collaborative Crisis Response Training provided by AltaPointe Health helps first responders correctly identify when a person's behavior is a result of mental illness, substance use or other disorder. The training also involves techniques and intervention strategies for successfully diffusing and handling those situations. AltaPointe's CCRT Mental Health Partnership has already proven successful in south Alabama. The program started three years ago, and AltaPointe now trains more than 700 law enforcement officers in Mobile and Baldwin counties each year.
SYLACAUGA, Ala., March 24, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Earlier this month, Governor Kay Ivey awarded a grant to AltaPointe Health's CCRT Mental Health Partnership to provide specialized training for law enforcement, correctional officers and first responders in Clay, Coosa, Randolph and Talladega counties.
The Collaborative Crisis Response Training provided by AltaPointe Health helps first responders correctly identify when a person's behavior is a result of mental illness, substance use or other disorders. The training also involves techniques and intervention strategies for successfully diffusing and handling those situations.
"Our law enforcement officers and first responders place themselves in potential peril every time they respond to a call or pull over a vehicle," Gov. Ivey said in a recent news release about the grant. "This training will be a very valuable resource in helping responders in these counties to determine what actions to take when facing these difficult and often unforeseen challenges."
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice.
"The safe handling of a potential crisis is a win-win for everyone involved in the situation," ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. "ADECA is pleased to join Gov. Ivey in supporting this beneficial training program."
PROVEN SUCCESS
AltaPointe's CCRT Mental Health Partnership has already proven successful in south Alabama. The program started three years ago, and AltaPointe now trains more than 700 law enforcement officers in Mobile and Baldwin counties each year.
"We are proud of the dynamic and successful partnerships AltaPointe has developed with various law enforcement agencies over the last few years. Any opportunity to give our first responders the tools to handle mental health crises benefits the entire community," explained Cindy Gipson, PhD, associate director for crisis services with AltaPointe Health.
During an August 2022 standoff in Mobile, the specialized training played an integral role in getting the individual psychiatric treatment instead of ending up in jail, and everyone involved walked away unharmed.
"It gave me a whole new perspective on the approaches and how we can actually mitigate some of the things that we see that are mental health related in our community," said Mobile Police Commander Curtis Graves following the incident. "It also lessens the impact on our county jail. But more importantly, it keeps everyone safe, and keeps our officers safe."
In addition to working with police officers and sheriff's deputies, AltaPointe has also provided mental health crisis training to Alabama state troopers and 911 dispatchers.
ABOUT ALTAPOINTE
AltaPointe Health is an extensive mental health and family medical healthcare system in Alabama. Our clinicians provide more than 1.3 million hospital, outpatient, residential and crisis services annually.
Media Contact
April Douglas, Director of Public Relations, AltaPointe Health, (251) 544-4639, [email protected]
SOURCE AltaPointe Health
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