Mental health counselors to soon respond to some Des Moines 911 calls

/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/BR_web_311x311.jpeg

Axios Des Moines: Mental health counselors will respond to some of Des Moines’ 911 calls instead of law enforcement officers, starting in July. The new approach aims to better allocate police resources, reduce arrests and improve access to mental health programs for people in need, police Sgt. Lorna Garcia said. The Crisis Advocacy Response Effort could help resolve some cases with as little as a phone conversation and follow-up to keep situations from escalating, Garcia said.