Latest news with #BehavioralHealthUnit
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Gwinnett Co. approves $714K to keep mental health crisis teams on streets
Gwinnett County commissioners unanimously approved more than $700,000 to continue funding the Behavioral Health Unit for another year, ensuring mental health crisis response teams will remain on the streets. The funding supports seven fully staffed teams that pair Gwinnett County Police officers with licensed clinicians to respond to mental health emergencies across the county. 'These teams have been an invaluable resource for our employees who like our residents at times face their own unique challenges,' Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said prior to the vote Tuesday. The unit handled over 4,200 crisis-related calls for service in 2024, responding to situations ranging from suicide threats to barricaded individuals. The teams resolve most mental health crises without arrests, instead connecting people with long-term services and support. The agreement with View Point Health runs through June 2026. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Trump announces travel ban and restrictions on 19 countries set to go into effect Monday Case of mistaken identity ends with young mother killed in alleged Atlanta gang shooting Doorbell camera captures man dragging dog down street in Fulton County [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bernalillo Sheriff details armed standoff with boys, 7 and 9
May 10—Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office deputies ordered the suspects to drop the handgun. They tried to de-escalate the situation and discuss options among themselves, like firing a less-lethal round or rushing the armed duo. Over several minutes, two brothers, ages 7 and 9, passed the fully loaded firearm back and forth. The boys, clad in pajamas, sometimes wrestled with the gun, as if it was nothing more than a doll. The deputies fired a less-lethal round to distract the boys, and one of them raised the gun and pulled the trigger. Sheriff John Allen said the gun malfunctioned, and had it gone off, "our deputies could have taken deadly force. That would not have gone well with anybody in the nation." During a briefing Thursday, Allen used the Feb. 16 incident — which he said would "shock the conscience of Bernalillo County" — to detail the steps BCSO's Behavioral Health Unit had taken to assist the family. The wraparound approach included everything from trauma therapy and parenting skills to grocery cards and rides to appointments. Prior to the incident, Allen said BCSO had been called to the home at least 50 times due to issues with the boys and their family. No charges have been filed against the children, who were detained safely, or the parent in the case. Deputy Deanna Aragon, a BCSO spokesperson, said the children have not been removed from the home, but the gun was seized. BCSO would not identify the boys, their parent, or where the incident occurred, she said, "out of respect for the family and to support ongoing efforts to connect them with the resources and assistance they need." BCSO also would not say how the children got the gun and were very vague about the circumstances. Allen said, however, that the boys "were taught how to use the firearm" and had learned the behavior they displayed that day. He said, down the road, they will look at criminal charges— like the Benny Hargrove law— for those involved. 'Our future' Allen said the first priority was to get the family help so the boys can succeed. "Children are our future, and we know one side is going to say, 'Lock them in jail.' They're 7 and 9 years old. I told you before, numerous times in numerous interviews, that I understand the frontal lobe," he said, referring to the lack of brain development and decision-making skills at that age. Allen, who has taken a tough stance against juvenile crime, said if the boys were several years older, "we'd probably be speaking differently and doing it the reverse route ... arresting people isn't the only way out of this crisis of juvenile crime ... You have to look at it from a bunch of different avenues and use the resources you have, and then criminal elements can come later." Behavioral Health Unit Clinical Manager Michael Lucero said the unit, which includes law enforcement, clinicians and paramedics, immediately went to the home to assist the family with "numerous issues they're experiencing" and got the boys psychiatric evaluations. Lucero said the unit takes a holistic approach, from considering medical conditions and traumas to safety concerns and quality-of-life issues. Even with all 13 Behavioral Health Unit members involved, he said they still ran into barriers along the way. Medicaid was denied to one boy for being too young, while they faced delays of up to six weeks for getting the boys into treatment and services. Lucero said they found workarounds to get the children and parent, who had an extensive history of trauma, the help they need — for the most part. "As you can imagine, if you're in crisis and you're suffering from major mental illness and possibly co-occurring disorders such as substance use, it's very difficult to navigate multiple systems," he said. "And we have highly educated, highly skilled people on this team, and it took all of us just to navigate multiple systems, and we are still running into barriers while working this case."
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Meet Duke, the Minnesota K-9 who sniffs out stress
We know dogs can sense our emotions, but did you know they can actually smell it, too? Duke, a 2-year-old lab, is a critical incident response dog with the Burnsville Police Department, specially trained to detect cortisol — a stress hormone — in people. "He will basically walk into a room and he'll sniff everybody who's in the room, and then he will zero in on that person who is the most stressed," said Sgt. Max Yakovlev. "Then the goal is for that person to sit so what they call is a grounding technique, and he tries to get somebody to sit down and pet him." Duke arrived the day after the tragic deaths of two officers and a firefighter-paramedic in Burnsville last year . "He came at the right time, but at the kind of the wrong time, if that makes even sense, right?" Yakovlev said. He was there to bring calm when it was needed most. "I honestly think it was a God thing, because I was already planning on being there," he said. Duke came from K9s for Freedom & Independence, a Texas nonprofit. Like a narcotics dog, he's trained to sniff out stress, using sweat and saliva. "It is so much different than the therapy dogs, because these dogs go out in the field. They can go on mental health calls," said Janeen Baggette, founder of K9s for Freedom & Independence. Duke responds with Burnsville's Behavioral Health Unit about 12 times a month and spends the rest of his time visiting schools or attending community events. "Sometimes the uniform, sometimes just our presence there, it can be a lot, and having him around kind of diminishes, that breaks down the barriers, or be able to work with somebody who is in crisis," Baggette said. He's also helping the officers. "Hopefully we can start to slow down and prevent the higher levels of suicide, individuals walking away from the job and resigning," she said. Off-duty, Duke's just another member of the Yakovlev family. "He's on a little bit of a diet because of the treats," Lakovlev said. "You know, the question comes up, the why? Why do we need it? And the answer is, look at him. Like, it's fun, and people love it." The Savage Fire Department also has a Critical Incident Response Team K-9 from the same organization — a chocolate lab named Marshall.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Topeka reviewing cleanup policy after homeless person injured
Context: video aired March 5. TOPEKA (KSNT) – The City of Topeka is reviewing how it does homeless camp abatements after a man was injured with machinery during one of the city's cleanups. City of Topeka staff are reviewing policies and procedures following the incident. Now, the Behavioral Health Unit and the Property Maintenance Unit will mark all cleared tents with an 'X' to let machine operators know they have been checked. Dan Garrett, spokesman for the City of Topeka, said in a press release that city workers were clearing a homeless camp along the Kansas River just north of the Sardou Bridge around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 4, when the incident occurred. City officials planned the clearing of this homeless camp following the expansion of Topeka's camping ordinance. 'Personnel will also continue to conduct an initial 'light touch' before removing a structure where a person could be present as well as a final walkthrough to ensure all structures have been properly checked and marked.' City of Topeka press release excerpt Dive team helps recover vehicle after Geary Co. crash The city reports that cleanup operations along the Kansas River will resume on Wednesday, March 12, depending on weather conditions. The City of Topeka continues to investigate the March 4 incident. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas River homeless camp to be cleared Monday in Topeka
TOPEKA (KSNT) – City workers are preparing to make another push to clear some local homeless camps as weather starts to turn warmer in Topeka. Dan Garrett, spokesman for the City of Topeka, announced in a press release on Feb. 28 that crews will start to remove a homeless camp in a section of land along the Kansas River between the Sardou Bridge and Soldier Creek on Monday, March 3. Members of the Behavioral Health Unit and other city partners have been in contact with the people living in this area to help them find community resources and help. 'Equity Access Shelter will complete an assessment with each impacted individual and ensure they are on the housing waitlist if they aren't already,' said Housing Services Director Carrie Higgins. 'We will talk through what options are available based on their specific needs and circumstances and connect them to those resources. We also work closely with the Capital City Outreach Teams to ensure consistent engagement with our unsheltered neighbors.' Squatting could become a crime in Kansas with new bill District 2 Topeka City Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala told 27 News earlier this week she has heard numerous complaints from locals about the camp along the river. The camp stands in violation of a recently approved addition to the city's camping ordinance. 'Our goal with abatements is to take a people first approach. While official notices are going out this week, we always make sure the unhoused impacted individuals were aware of what was going on way in advance, so they knew what options they have,' said Major Mike Cross. 'We care about these individuals and want to make sure they are getting the services they need.' For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
