Mental Health a Focus for Sarpy County Law Enforcement
Overcoming obstacles created by mental illness is a priority for the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, which has invested over the past few years in building capacity for helping people who are experiencing a crisis.
Sarpy County Sheriff Sgt. Rob Hillabrand recounted a time that he had to deescalate a situation with a suicidal woman.
He asked the woman about her Wellness Recovery Action Plan, which includes her diagnosis and medications, and he stressed to her that he wasn’t there to arrest her.
“She dropped the knife and came up the stairs,” he said in a story shared on the county government’s website promoting law enforcement efforts to address mental illness.
Hillabrand is the mental health project coordinator for the Sheriff’s Office. The office created the area’s first mental health unit.
“We want to get people the help they need and direct them toward the right path,” he said. “We’re trying to stop incarcerating people with mental illness.”
Addressing mental illness also helps free up law enforcement resources, which are stretched. “Mental illness is a medical condition – no different than when you get sick and go to the hospital,” Hillabrand said.
Deputies in the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office are trained in mental health first aid, which can help identify mental illness such as bipolar disorder or depression.
In addition, many law enforcement officers in Sarpy County have gone through a 400-hour crisis intervention team course.
The county’s correctional officers and public defenders are trained in mental health first aid, as are police officers in Papillion, La Vista and Bellevue.
Hillabrand estimated law enforcement officers respond to a few mental health calls per shift.
La Vista Police Capt. Jeremy Kinsey said officers are increasingly responding to calls involving a person with an underlying mental health or substance abuse issue. Training can help them to react accordingly, he said.
“Years ago, we didn’t have the resources we have now. We may have taken a different approach,” Kinsey said. “But today, we try to talk, make communication and let them know that there’s help available.”
Heartland Family Service offers a 24/7 Assessment, Supporter and Prevention program, which provides mental health crisis response teams including licensed therapists, allowing law enforcement to return to service.
Trisha McArthur, the lead therapist with Crisis Response Services, said in an story shared by Sarpy County that law enforcement officers “do a brilliant job with identifying and actively seeking appropriate assistance with persons in Sarpy County who struggle with a mental illness.”
“Law enforcement are empathetic, and well versed with crisis response team services and the importance of connecting individuals to preventative services in order to hopefully ward off an escalation of mental health symptoms,” McArthur said.
Sarpy County law enforcement aims to avoid booking a person in jail for a minor misdemeanor or taking the person to an emergency room where they could wait hours to be triaged.
Hillabrand applauded County Administrator Dan Hoins and Sheriff Jeff Davis for dedicating resources to mental health efforts.
“I think that speaks volumes on how committed the county is, that they’re willing to create a brand-new unit, something that’s never been done before in this area,” Hillabrand said.
Sarpy County’s leadership on mental health should be commended, said Vicki Maca, director of criminal justice and behavioral health initiatives for Region 6, which works to improve behavioral healthcare in eastern Nebraska.
“In Sarpy County, they have such great energy and their leadership is so committed to how seriously mentally ill people get assistance,” Maca said. “We don’t see that in every county.”
In addition to those programs, the county is working on a new jail that would provide mental health care and flexible space for community partners who can provide mental health services.
According to data collected for Stepping Up Initiative, a national initiative localized by Region 6 and Sarpy County, people with serious mental illness remained in the Sarpy County jail for an average of 106 days – compared to an average 15-day stay for people without mental illness.
Similarly, people with serious mental illness are much more likely to commit another crime and end up back in jail.
“Our goal is that anyone who violates the law doesn’t do it again, whether it’s theft or assault or alcohol or drug related. The purpose of the criminal justice system is to provide a deterrent and hopefully some form of rehabilitation,” said Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov. “If we can get people early, who are coming into contact with law enforcement and get them the proper treatment and stabilization, it saves everyone a lot of hardship.”
Sarpy County Commissioner Jim Warren, who serves on the Mental Health Leadership Team, said the initiatives are sound public investments.
“It doesn’t do any good to incarcerate people who really aren’t meant to be there and will easily end back in jail, where they may be a danger to themselves or others,” Warren said. “Our multi-faceted approach is a compassionate yet fiscally responsible one. We want to eliminate that revolving door and get people the help they need so they can live their lives. That’s a good outcome for the person, their family, our community and the system as a whole.”
This report was adapted from articles shared by Sarpy County on its website, sarpy.com.
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