Liz Wingerter had just begun her day when a Mesa County Sheriff's deputy alerted her to a 911 call that just came in: a person experiencing a crisis had a weapon trying to harm themselves outside of a business. Wingerter, a mental health professional, responds to the emergency alongside deputies offering support and immediate crisis intervention.

"The client's safety is first and foremost. I feel that by being able to respond to law enforcement in the community, we are able to support the client's needs in a greater capacity than if law enforcement would have to bring that individual into an outpatient office," said Liz Wingerter, Mind Springs Crisis Program Coordinator.

When someone is experiencing a crisis, deputies work to peacefully deescalate the situation, ensuring both the individual and the surrounding community are safe. Then, Wingerter's work begins, often spending several hours supporting the individual, developing a plan, and getting them connected with the community's resources. 

"We are assessing their immediate safety. When it comes to what we can do to support them, I have gotten people into homeless shelters, connected them with the food bank, a therapist, and other community resources," said Wingerter. "We also can refer to a higher level of care, help create a safety plan and free up that deputy to respond to other emergencies."

Wingerter is part of an expanded partnership with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office and Mind Springs Health. At the start of 2020, Mind Springs Mobile Crisis Clinicians began working alongside deputies at the Clifton substation to provide immediate mental health services to community members experiencing a crisis. 

"We recognize mental health plays a role in many of the incidents our patrol deputies respond to. It is important to approach these situations not only from a community safety perspective but also from a behavioral health aspect," said Mesa County Sheriff's Office Captain Todd Sorenson. 

When someone calls 911, it may not always be for criminal activity. Increasingly, more and more calls involve someone in crisis. Mesa County Sheriff's Office deputies are trained in de-escalation techniques. Many deputies also have additional specialized training in crisis intervention. Whether it's a mental illness or substance use that led to the crisis, both deputies and the Mobile Crisis Clinicians are here to help.

"We meet the person where they are and work together to solve the crisis and provide immediate assistance. While we help ensure the person's safety and the clinician can establish care and follow-up. It's a great resource to add to what we do," said Deputy Lee Pratt.

The program is an expansion of the co-responder program first developed in 2018 in partnership with the Grand Junction Police Department. This new model strengthens the collaborative efforts of law enforcement and mental health professionals while broadening their reach into unincorporated Mesa County.  

"Not only is the community becoming more aware of Mobile Crisis Services, but it's also enabled Mind Springs to serve the community better with crisis intervention and help clients get into services more readily," said Mind Spring Health Crisis Response Operations Manager Felicia Romero. "It has really enhanced partnership and collaboration towards the health and wellbeing of the community."

Before this partnership, the Mesa County Sheriff's Office experienced a greater need to connect community members with immediate mental health services. Simultaneously, the Mobile Crisis Program was an underutilized resource with community members unsure how to access crisis services. 

"The partnership just made sense. Having experienced clinicians embedded with deputies makes it easier to tap into available resources and work together to provide long-term solutions for those in crisis," said Capt. Sorenson. "An added benefit of working side by side with clinicians is deputies get a deeper understanding of behavioral health issues and additional support for themselves."

The partnerships give both agencies an inside view of the work that each other does. The Mobile Crisis Clinician can help deputies recognize the warning signs and risk factors that someone is in trouble and offer solutions. Deputies can also share their knowledge and experience working with individuals to help the clinician get a better understanding of that person's needs. 

"When you get a client into services and the appropriate level of care, it reduces recidivism on precious resources like law enforcement or an Emergency Room," said Romero. "For the new client, it's helped them to tap into the resources. For that familiar face, it's helped build a rapport and trust between law enforcement and mental health that they feel safe to reach out for help. It's a win-win for the community in that regard."

When the pandemic hit, having this program in place helped reach people who found themselves isolated from their support systems. 

"We were able to get to those folks that were suffering in silence and not sure they could reach out for services. When law enforcement is called out and recognizes there is a behavioral health crisis, they are able to tap into Mind Springs as a resource and help get the person the services that they need," said Romero.

Liz Wingerter now oversees the mobile crisis clinician program. In the year she spent with deputies, she's seen the powerful impact of the program.

"We are all one bad day from our own crisis. Just because a deputy is at your door doesn't mean that you are in trouble; we are here to help support and make sure you are safe," said Wingerter. "I'm glad I can be the person to provide hope, be that listening ear and tell someone they are valued when they need to hear it the most."

While clinicians have become an invaluable resource to providing immediate crisis assistance, it's not a solution for every situation. People also have to be willing to follow through with the treatment. If the person is combative, intoxicated, and is a public safety concern, there isn't an easy solution. 

"If they've committed a serious crime, they will be taken to jail. But jail is not a solution for everyone. For those people who are in crisis and combative, but haven't otherwise committed a crime, they need help. They don't belong in jail but need to go somewhere safe where they can get help without harming themselves or others," said Capt. Sorenson. "Right now, there isn't a good place to take them. An emergency room is only a temporary solution. Crisis stabilization is a commonly discussed community resource gap, that's one of the big challenges we are facing."

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office is investing the resources and time to find long-term solutions. The Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) is working with individuals whose mental illness manifests as substance abuse and chronic criminal behavior. 

"These are people who are harassing businesses, repeatedly committing low-level offenses that are causing social harm. For some, the criminal behavior won't stop until you address the underlying mental illness. We work with them within the criminal justice system to help get them treatment with the goal of ultimately stopping the criminal behavior," said CRU Deputy Amanda Simon.

The Crime Reduction Unit's approach takes time. For those that need immediate help, Captain Sorenson is actively engaged with community partners and stakeholders through the Mesa County Behavioral Health Coalition to identify resource gaps and find community solutions to narrow those gaps. 

"We are looking at whether we have enough capacity, are there enough resources, who has what available that can be utilized or reimagined?" said Capt. Sorenson. "We don't have those answers yet, but I am encouraged by all of the partners who've come to the table to work together to find solutions."

Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland has joined the effort recognizing the importance of having a robust mental health system in the community.

"While the County isn't responsible for providing or funding mental health services to the general public, we are responsible for providing services that are used more frequently when people don't have access to mental health care. Things such as child abuse, domestic violence, poverty, violent crime, substance abuse, among others. By assessing our mental health system and working with the community to fill gaps, we can get ahead of it and hopefully reduce some of those things," said Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland. 

While there is work still to be done, progress is being made. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office and Mind Springs Health want community members to know there is help available. No one needs to suffer in silence.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis or needs support call 844.493.TALK (8255), Text: TALK to 38255 or visit ColoradoCrisisServices.org. You'll immediately be connected with a trained counselor, ready to talk with you about anything. 

If it is an emergency, don't hesitate to call 911. 

Click here to learn more about mental health services available in Mesa County. 

Inside Your Sheriff's Office is a series looking at how the Mesa County Sheriff's Office is finding innovative solutions, working together with community partners, and pioneering new criminal justice programs with the goal of making our community safer. To learn more about this series, click here.