Latest news with #MesaCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mesa County Sheriff's Office highlights Mental Health Clinicians for EMS week
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — From May 21 to May 28, the Mesa County Sheriff's Office created a series of social media posts to highlight its Mental Health Clinicians of the Mesa County Sheriff's Office Co-Response Team for EMS week. In 2023, the Mesa County Co-Response was initiated to improve the response to mental health crises in the community by integrating clinicians into patrol teams. The Mental Health Clinicians respond to emergency calls and work together with a deputy to de-escalate situations that could lead to arrest or hospitalization, assess individuals and direct them to local resources. The highlighted Mental Health Clinicians include: Dr. Pamela Shannahan-Sturgon, who is the Mesa County Sheriff's Office Co-Response Team Clinical Supervisor and has a doctorate in behavioral health. Shannahan-Sturgon has over 20 years of clinical and supervisory experience, in which she has developed and led integrated health and behavioral health programs for underserved populations. Paul McGinnet, who started his professional mental health career at Mind Springs Health before he transitioned to the sheriff's office to serve in Co-Response. In the post, McGinnet said, 'I am deeply passionate about my work, as I thrive on helping individuals in crisis and connecting them with resources that can help them avoid unnecessary psychiatric admissions or incarceration.' Liz Elliot, a mental health professional who has been in the human services field since 2013 after graduating from Aurora University in Illinois. She has gained experience in interacting with different community members, helping with regulation and de-escalation and providing individualized resources. Justin Morgan, a Mental Health Clinician with experience in veterinary technology and mental health. Morgan has been a mental health worker and team lead at an inpatient facility, a crisis clinician for both mobile and walk-in clinics. He has been a co-responder since April 2024. Tara Butson, a mental health professional with licensed experience in addiction counseling and social work, has served in roles such as a jail-based behavioral health therapist for San Miguel and Archuleta counties and as an adolescent and family case manager. Michael LeFebre, a licensed clinical social worker who has worked as a mental health clinician for over 35 years. In the post, LeFebre said, 'It has been extremely gratifying to work in Mesa County supporting and promoting the wellness of our community.' The final post in the series from the Mesa County Sheriff's Office also mentions the two Co-Response Deputies in the program: Deputies Huisjen and Strauch, who have received specialized mental and behavioral health training. 'Co-Response addresses the unique mental health needs of the community, and we look forward to seeing the program flourish,' the Mesa County Sheriff's Office stated in the final post. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mesa County Sheriff's Office introduces new AngelSense Program
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) – The Mesa County Sheriff's Office is launching a new safety initiative called the AngelSense Program. The program is committed to helping quickly locate and recover residents at risks of wandering due to conditions like autism, dementia, Alzheimer's and other developmental disabilities or medically induced cognitive conditions. The new program comes from a partnership with AngelSense, which supplies technology for people with disabilities or conditions that could affect cognitive abilities. Said technology are things like a wearable device that has an auto-pickup speakerphone as well as an SOS button, a proactive monitoring and alerting system and application for caregivers. With help from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and its Persons Who Wander Grant, the sheriff's office has already provided 22 wearable AngelSense devises to those at risks of wandering. The devices send a location updates every 10 seconds from any distance. If those at risk of wandering do get lost, caregivers or loved ones can provide a link to law enforcement which gives them an up-to-date location helping to find the individual in timely manner. 'We are excited to offer this program to our community members in Mesa County,' said MCSO Sgt. Ross Young. 'It has been a team effort to select a service provider that we believe will improve the ability for law enforcement to locate individuals at-risk of wandering in our community should they become lost. While we never hope to need this technology, we look forward to seeing AngelSense in action to help locate these individuals quickly.' For those curious in the latest technology, applications to an enrollment process can be submitted through the Mesa County Sheriff's website. After the application is received, specialists will review it and contact the person behind the submission for interview to finalize the enrollment process. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Local Clifton man scammed out of over $180,000
A local man now in financial ruin. His alleged scammers still on the loose. It is all said to have taken place in a Clifton parking lot. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office tells us victims of financial fraud like Mike Jones are all too common. 64-year-old Mike Jones tells us in early April, he began to receive calls from someone pretending to be a government agent from the Federal Trade Commission, threatening to arrest him if he didn't pay up. The alleged scammer, we're told, met with him face to face three times in a local Clifton parking lot over the course of a month to exchange the money. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office has since launched an investigation. They tell us this kind of fraud can happen to people of varying ages, but senior citizens are at particular risk. With Mike's life savings gone and having recently suffered a stroke at the beginning of the year, his family set up a GoFundMe account to help rebuild. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office tells us Mike Jones' investigation is still ongoing, and there are no suspects in custody as of yet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mesa County Sheriff's Office hands out Volunteer of the Year Awards
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Mesa County Sheriff's Office recently handed out its 2024 Volunteer of the Year Awards, highlighting contributions all over the sheriff's office. Five people across the sheriff's department received awards for their contributions, in anything from search and rescue to the citizens on patrol unit. One of the recipients, Dr. Carl Malito, volunteers at the Mesa County Detention Facility three nights a week while also serving as an emergency room physician. Another recipient, Layne Whyman, retired from the sheriff's office in another role, but came back as a volunteer in support services. Each recipient was given a plaque, and the sheriff's office took time to thank all of the countless volunteers for helping make daily operations just a little bit easier. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Law enforcement investigating hit-and-run at assisted living facility
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – Law enforcement was out on the scene Monday morning for a hit-and-run incident at Peach Tree Care Center, an assisted living facility. According to our reporter on the scene, the driver struck a fence, porch, signage, another vehicle and part of a building. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office and Colorado State Patrol – which responded to the incident – said they believed they knew who the driver might be based on a Jeep Grand Cherokee license plate that was left at the scene. The Grand Junction Fire Department also responded due to medical concerns from one of the residents at the living facility. However, the issues seemed to be minor. The case is still under investigation. WesternSlopeNow will update this story once more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
