Responding to Mental Health Crisis

Collaborating to provide assistance to those in need

By working with individuals who have suicidal ideation, depression, family issues, substance abuse, or housing issues, the impact on police resources is reduced. It is an innovative approach and the Cedar Rapids Police Department is one of the first law enforcement agencies in the Midwest to collaborate with mental health professionals to decrease police calls for service and reduce the likelihood of incarceration.

The Law Enforcement Liaison, who is an employee of Foundation 2, works with police officers and responds to calls for service involving individuals with a mental health crisis. The Law Enforcement Liaison has the primary role of assisting officers who have identified individuals who may need some type of assistance because of mental illness or co-occurring disorders. The Police Department has also assigned a police officer dedicated to assisting the Law Enforcement Liaisons as part of the City’s share of a $222,345 federal grant received through the United States Department of Justice. The grant enhanced a prior federal match grant that allowed the Police Department to partner with Foundation 2 to create the Law Enforcement Liaison position. As a testament to the need for this community resource, from April 1-June 20, 2020, both the officer and Liaison have managed 215 mental health-related cases.

The recently received grant funding will also allow the Police Department to add a second Law Enforcement Liaison employed through Foundation 2. Interviews for the second position were held in July, with an anticipated August start date for the second position.

The Law Enforcement Liaison is just one aspect of a robust collaborative effort between the Police Department and Foundation 2 to provide assistance to those in need of mental health services. Representatives from both agencies meet on a regular basis to address systemic issues and evaluate the program. The concept of a Law Enforcement Liaison was conceptualized from this ongoing collaboration between the Police Department and Foundation 2.