In 2018, the Town of Prescott Valley received a total of 229 calls pertaining to suicide threats and a total of 159 calls pertaining to crisis support. Research estimates that as many as 10% of police calls involve someone with a mental illness.
At the Town of Prescott Valley Town Council meeting on September 12, the Town joined the “One Mind Pledge.” The “One Mind Pledge” campaign seeks to ensure successful interactions between police officers and persons affected by mental illness. The initiative focuses on uniting local communities, public safety organizations, and mental health organizations so that the three become “of one mind,” through partnerships, training, and policy.
The Prescott Valley Police Department partners with several community mental health organizations to provide for our community and members’ needs, including West Yavapai Guidance Clinic, Terros Health, Spectrum Healthcare, Dr. Dara Rampersand, and Southwest Behavioral Health. We support training for our law enforcement and 1 st responders so they can identify and connect citizens and co-workers to the appropriate care. Many of our officers are certified in Mental Health First Aid and Crisis Intervention.
Both courses teach innovative approaches to improve outcomes in these kinds of situations. We also implemented new policy to address police response to persons affected by mental illness in 2019.
The Town of Prescott Valley Mayor and Council call on all members of the community to support the Town of Prescott Valley in their efforts in recognizing and understanding what mental illness is and how all community members can play a role in destigmatizing mental health issues.
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