The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is creating a new Mental Health Response Unit, taking a potentially significant step toward law enforcement reform in the county.
While the Mental Health Response Unit is still in its developmental stages, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said this is an effort to “close the gap of opportunity and need” for those suffering from mental health concerns.
“There’s been a great discussion as of late about law enforcement reform and one of those issues talks about how we deal with people who have mental health issues,” Blackwood said. “So, that’s where this came from.”
Blackwood said Orange County deputies are often called to mental health crises because they are available 24/7, are mobile, and have an efficient dispatch system, however, that doesn’t mean they are the right people for the job.
“I think that breaking down the stigma that is around mental health is critically important to understanding how to move forward with it,” Blackwood said. “Early on in my career I realized that the emergency room and the jail are the two places that the mental health folks end up being – and they’re the two places in the county that really can’t do anything to help them.”
While sheriff’s deputies are not mental health clinicians, Blackwood said they are trained in de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques, have the necessary authority to transport subjects to a medical facility and are trained in best practices for safely containing violent behavior if needed.
Blackwood said the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is hearing more and more from community members who feel law enforcement should not be involved in these situations at all.
“We cannot expect our officers who are out on the street – the deputies who are working the patrol division – to have every answer to every problem, but we know as problem solvers we’ve got to figure out a way to try and have those resources available to them,” the Orange County sheriff said.
Blackwood said the Mental Health Response Unit will consist of a deputy and a mental health clinician riding together. The deputies staffing the unit will have specialized training in crisis intervention, hostage negotiation, and mental health first aide. Additionally, one of the assigned deputies will be a drug recognition expert, trained to recognize those under the influence and identify what drug is responsible for the person’s impairment.
“If somebody is having a bad day, and they’re on the I-85 bridge, and they’re talking about jumping off, and they’re mad a law enforcement, the last thing they want to see is a bunch of blue lights,” Blackwood said. “That’s where that clinician can step in and we can offer protection for them to do their job and talk that person down.”
According to the sheriff, deputies assigned to this unit will drive vehicles with subdued graphics and wear uniforms with elements identifying their special focus. These deputies will have rotating schedules, concentrating where possible on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday – the days Blackwood said his office responded to mental illness emergencies most often in 2020.
Blackwood said he hopes to partner with UNC to recruit people who are seeking their master’s as a mental health clinician to intern and volunteer with the sheriff’s office – effectively keeping cost low.
“I know there are people out there that want to do this work, that will give up their time, understanding we’re not going to put them in a car and put them out there by themselves,” Blackwood said. “This unit will be working as a team – there will be strengths and weaknesses on both sides of that car – and we want them to balance one another out and offer another option to the people in our community because we feel they deserve it.”
Two deputies and their vehicles are already ready to roll. Blackwood said next steps involve more training on crisis management and hostage negotiation.
“Then we’re going to partner them, hopefully very soon, with some eager people who are wanting to help out their community,” said the Orange County Sheriff. “And we’ll be on the road.”
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.
