Mike Berney, Palouse River Counseling executive director, spoke to the Pullman Police Advisory Committee on March 8 about the mental health impacts of COVID-19.
Washington is in the bottom third in the country of available psychiatric beds per 100,000 people, Berney said. PRC has been paying attention to this because having available care is a necessity.
The behavioral health system, in general, has been significantly underfunded for quite a while, which also has a significant impact on police officers, he said.
There are various challenges that come with being in a rural community, Berney said. One challenge is not having the ability to attract professionals and keep them for a long period of time.
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