Mental Health Field Response Teams Awarded Additional Grant Funding to Expand Programs

This month, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC ) awarded the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office’s, in partnership with the Spokane Police Department, a $698,750 grant to continue and expand their Mental Health Field Response Team capabilities. The grant was funded by the Washington State Legislature.

The WASPC funds allow the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to continue deploying their co-responder teams, comprised of a Frontier Behavioral Health Mental Health Professional partnered with an Officer/Deputy. The grant also expands current programs by adding additional Mental Health Field Response Teams to a total of two Sheriff’s Office Deputies, two Spokane PD Officers, and four Frontier Behavioral Health Mental Health Professionals.

The grant also allows a supervisor to oversee and coordinate the co-responder teams as one unit.

This coordination will allow them to quickly respond to calls involving people in crisis anywhere inside Spokane County. This increased presence and flexibility enables these highly trained and specialized teams to respond to mental health-related calls for service when needed, despite boundaries.

This WASPC Grant allows the Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office to continue their already established and successful Mental Health Field Response Teams. It also enables both agencies to work together and expand their programs to address our regional mental health crisis.

People experiencing mental health crises are not necessarily committing crimes, but communities continue to rely on law enforcement to respond to these mental health crises. These funds will help effectively focus our limited mental health resources by sending Mental Health Field Response Teams directly to people who are in crisis.

Frontier Behavioral Health Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Thomas said, “These additional resources from WASPC will further our partnership with the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and our combined efforts to use resources and services within our community for individuals with behavioral health needs.”