From The Daily Sentinel (Link: https://www.gjsentinel.com/lifestyle/health_and_wellness/keeping-residents-out-of-ers-and-jail/article_6958c2aa-1151-11ef-8330-93500f25fcd5.html):
The majority of people prefer to stay at home when sick, especially if the alternatives are a psychiatric hospital or emergency room.
The Mesa County Co-Response Unit and Multi-Agency Collaboration (MAC) work to make that possible for those struggling with their mental health.
The co-response unit is a team of law enforcement members and four licensed mental health clinicians established in summer 2023 to curb mental health crises and behavioral health issues in the community with specialized support.
The unit aims to stabilize people in crisis through de-escalation, allowing them to recover and find support in their home and community, rather than taking them to jail, the psychiatric ER or a hospital’s emergency department. Co-responders ensure that stability is maintained with check-ins throughout the next day and by connecting residents with the MAC.
“The goal is to reduce acute care services so that people can remain at a level (of care) they prefer, which is in their homes or in what they identify as their safe place,” Mesa County Behavioral Health Director Lisa Mills said.
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