CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Police Department and Centerstone, the nonprofit health organization, have received a $750,000 annual grant, which will run over the course of four years, with the goal of expanding mobile crisis co-response services for children, youth and adults in Clarksville.
Once the program has been established, upon requesting for a co-response mobile crisis team, a two-person team comprised of a Centerstone Response Specialist and available law enforcement officers would be dispatched to the scene, according to a city news release from Communications Director Jimmy Settle.
Clarksville was awarded one of 17 such grants nationally and is the only location in Tennessee to receive it. “The purpose of this program is to establish new, or enhance existing, mobile crisis teams that serve children, youth, and adults experiencing mental health or substance use crises,” said the release.
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“Its focus is the expansion of behavioral health crisis response capacity, and the development of structured partnerships that reduce reliance on law enforcement and emergency departments for behavioral health crises.”
CPD and Centerstone were competitively awarded the grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), according to the release. The co-responder program is expected to train providers in early identification and intervention, suicide prevention and overdose recognition and response.
Understanding what resources are needed immediately, long term
“Together this team will assess what resources are needed, both immediately and long-term. Within 24 to 72 hours, post-crisis contact will be initiated by a Centerstone Follow-Up Specialist to assess risk level and update the individual’s safety plan,” said the release.
Continued follow-up will be provided beyond the initial response, to ensure individuals served remain connected and engaged.
‘We want them to know that help is available”
“We are grateful to partner with Centerstone to continue making a difference in our community,” said CPD Chief Ty Burdine.
“Anytime someone finds themselves in distress, we want them to know that help is available, and this grant opportunity allows us an additional resource to get those individuals in mental crisis some long-term help.”
Receiving help the right way, at the right time
Centerstone Director of Crisis Services Kara Merriam says it is essential to ensure people experiencing a behavioral health crisis receive the right help at the right time.
“Co-response is about creating a safer, more effective, more compassionate system for individuals and families in crisis, law enforcement agents, and the Clarksville community,” Merriam said. “By combining law-enforcement’s focus on safety with Centerstone’s behavioral health expertise, we can de-escalate crises, reduce unnecessary arrests and emergency room visits, connect people with treatment and help police officers get back to serving the community.”
National Suicide Prevention Month
“September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, so notification of this award in the first week of September holds even greater significance,” said Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts. “Our community as a whole has a suicide rate of 17.9 per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 14.7 per 100,000.
“We know there is a need for this evidence-based mobile crisis response team model. Mental health and wellness is something our City takes seriously, and this program is just another example of how we’re moving Clarksville forward,” Pitts said.
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