HAILEY, Idaho — Blaine County law enforcement has a new tool when responding to calls involving mental or behavioral health issues.
WATCH: Blaine County's new crisis co-response team pairs a clinician with a deputy to help people in mental health crises
Blaine County Sheriff Morgan Ballis said his deputies wear a lot of hats, but at the end of the day, officers have to enforce the law — leaving only a few options when dealing with someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
"Sometimes there is nothing we can do — there is no crime committed, there is no risk of self-harm, but they clearly need some sort of help. Other times, there is a crime committed and we might end up taking them to jail, or we default to taking them to the ER," Ballis said.
A countywide partnership now brings a gentler approach.
The crisis co-response team consists of licensed behavioral health clinician Benson Blair and Blaine County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Josh Pritchard.
"We can help people who may not necessarily need to be in jail or in hospitals if they're experiencing a behavioral health crisis," Blair said.
"My main goal is to reduce the amount of people that are being incarcerated or going for involuntary commitment," Pritchard said.
Blair said the model is new to Idaho but has shown results elsewhere.
"This is very new in Idaho but has been successful in other places, and we're hoping it can be successful here," Blair said.
The team will be on patrol daily, serving as backup for any officer responding to a potential mental health crisis.
"So, if any one of our local police departments receives a mental health-related call, they can request assistance, or our team can self-deploy to put that clinician in the field," Ballis said.
The team is also designed to provide follow-up support so no one slips through the cracks.
"If one of our deputies or officers in the field interacts with someone that might be in a mental health crisis or having behavioral health challenges, they can now flag that individual for this team for follow-up to connect them with resources," Ballis said.
Ballis hopes the team's results will mirror other models in the state, where he said communities have seen reductions in law enforcement and EMS dispatches, emergency room visits and jail bookings by up to 70%.
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