Sebastian County officials invited to crisis intervention event in August

June 26--Sebastian County officials were invited to an event addressing the relationship between law enforcement and those with mental health issues in Hot Springs on Aug. 9.

Sebastian County Judge David Hudson announced during the Sebastian County Quorum Court meeting Tuesday that the Mental Health Council of Arkansas (MHCA) will sponsor and present an event titled, "Crisis Intervention Teams: Law Enforcement, Mental Health and the Community Working Together ... Seriously!" Hudson is planning to attend.

"They have invited individuals from the state of Mississippi to discuss what that state is doing in regard to crisis intervention teams, law enforcement activities and mental health treatment, which is exactly what our Sebastian County Mental Health Summit was focused on and what the summit the five-member team from Sebastian County was briefed on in Washington D.C.," Hudson said. "It's another focused briefing and presentation on what was implemented in the state of Mississippi."

Hudson said he expects "Crisis Intervention Teams" forum to be similar in concept to the Sebastian County Mental Health Summit that was held May 26. In fact, Hudson said he first heard of the event when MHCA Executive Director Dianna Skaggs announced it and distributed handouts about it at the summit.

Skaggs said those speaking at "Crisis Intervention Teams" include Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun, Weems Community Mental Health Center Adult Services Director Amy Bishop and therapist and Weems Community Mental Health Center Emergency Services Director Amy Mosley. All of these speakers have had experience in crisis intervention in various capacities, with Calhoun in particular working with the Community Partnership on Mental Health to develop the East Mississippi Crisis Intervention Team.

"Chief Deputy Calhoun impressed our coalition so much we wanted to bring him to Arkansas to meet with interested parties," Skaggs said. "He states that if there are 10 encounters using a CIT trained officer, usually eight of those result in some resolution and no arrests. Very impressive, Mississippi!"

Skaggs said the target audience for the event includes members of law enforcement, mental health professionals, legislators, task force members, judges, prosecuting attorneys and anyone else who is interested in promoting law enforcement/mental health collaboration.

Hudson said he hopes the event will help him and other county officials present reinforce their understanding on how to implement treatment solutions for people with mental illnesses in Sebastian County. The primary reason for this will be learning how to divert non-dangerous offenders with mental health issues from the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center to a place where they can receive treatment, thereby reducing the strain on the jail.

"Whenever you hear about what's actually been implemented in another jurisdiction, then you see if you can get any insights as to how you would take that example and apply it to your local circumstances," Hudson said. "That's really my interest. We want to get something done here. We want to know how to promote it and how to interact with the Legislature, the governor's office, the state agencies and then the local service providers here."

Hudson said Thursday the Sebastian County Detention Center is operating over 120 inmates over capacity as of Wednesday night. However, steps are currently being taken to address this problem as a followup to the mental health summit.

Although he said he does not know which other members of the five-person team who went to Washington D.C. in April will attend "Crisis Intervention Teams," Hudson is looking forward to seeing what he can learn from the event. This team includes Circuit Judge Anne Hendricks, Prosecutor Dan Shue, Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center CEO Jim West and Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck.

Skaggs said the event is important because it help ensure the safety of both those with mental illnesses and law enforcement officers.

"We recognize that many mentally ill (people) are in our jails that do not belong there," Skaggs said. "We are advocating for services in the safest, least restrictive setting. We want our police force trained to defuse situations to reduce injuries to officers and/or offenders. We want treatment for the chronically mentally ill and substance abuse, not incarceration."

The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noonAug. 9. Entry will be free of charge.

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