Iowa City Council creates mental health position to help answer police calls
GazetteFeb 03, 2021
Feb. 3—IOWA CITY — Last year, a mental health professional responded to 429 calls for service with the
Of those calls, 89 percent were diverted from arrest, according to
Now, with support from the
"It's providing an opportunity where there wasn't one before ... for a mental health professional to respond versus police alone," Nelson said.
Under the proposal, the liaison — a trained mental health and crisis professional — would be a member of CommUnity's 24-hour Mobile Crisis Service. The liaison would respond to certain calls for service that require the presence of a law enforcement officer. However, officials said the hope is for police to simply secure the scene while allowing the liaison to work closely with the individual in need of assistance.
The liaison position is part of
Fruin noted in his memo detailing the position that the city could eventually expect to see more referrals to the Mobile Crisis Service and improved officer discretion.
While public feedback was not in support of a model that included police presence at mental health crisis calls,
"My personal opinion is this is a part of the process to get us to where we need to be," Mayor
The new position will be funded in the first year by a grant from the Mental Health/Disability Services of the
The mental health liaison also will be made available to other jurisdictions in
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