A bevy of bills before the state legislature seeks to improve how state and local agencies assist people struggling with mental health crises and related issues. Theyâre both promising and overdue.
One of them, House Bill 786, âEnhance Local Response/Mental Health Crises,â would provide funding for pilot programs to study how local police departments could respond to nonviolent emergency calls involving mental health, homelessness, substance use or other behavioral problems, with teams that include mental health professionals. Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth, is among the billâs primary sponsors.
The timing is fortuitous. Last week, a local group submitted a petition to local authorities calling for much the same thing. More than 100 mental health professionals signed the petition, promoting a system that trains emergency dispatchers to figure out whether someone calling for help needs a mental health professional, a police officer, or both, the Journalâs Richard Craver reported earlier this week.