ALTON, Ill — A counselor will begin working with the Alton Police Department for mental health-related calls.
Centerstone, a not-for-profit provider in behavioral healthcare, will provide a counselor through a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services. The counselor will collaborate with Alton police to help connect individuals in the community to local resources.
“It has been an honor to work alongside the Alton Police Department, on behalf of Centerstone, in this co-responder capacity. There has been top-down support from APD since day one, which has helped to make this program successful,” said Regina Plummer, EDA counselor with Centerstone.
In situations where police encounter an individual with mental health issues, the police officer often takes the person to an emergency room. At that point, the emergency room staff call in a mental health crisis assessor to help connect the individual with mental health resources. By having a counselor who works directly with police, people with mental health issues will get the help they need faster.
”Working with Centerstone to start the Community Response Team program from the ground up has been a blessing. I’m proud of Centerstone and the Alton Police Department for joining forces and leading the way in serving the community,” said Jarrett M. Ford, Interim Deputy Chief of Police with the Alton Police Department.
For more information about Centerstone, visit the organization's website or call 1-877- HOPE123 (1-877-467-3123).
