When someone calls 911 in the middle of a crisis, who shows up – and how quickly – can change the outcome entirely. In Yakima County, when a call involves a mental health or substance use emergency, the response now may include a trained behavioral health professional, in addition to law enforcement.
That shift is the result of Comprehensive Healthcare’s Field Response Program, which brings together Designated Crisis Responders (DCRs), behavioral health case managers, and peer support specialists who are embedded directly within law enforcement agencies, with teams currently based at the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office and the Sunnyside Police Department.
Several members of the Field Response team spoke with the Yakima Herald for an in-depth look at how the program works and the difference it’s making for clients and the community.
