Officer Jacob Baird, the community engagement officer in charge of the program, said he passed a car in the middle of an intersection blocking traffic on his way to answer a call in July. The man quickly got out of the car and started walking through the traffic.
“He’s not aware of what’s going on around him,” Baird said.
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
As Baird approached and called for support, the man ran off and began performing karate on the street. It turns out that what Baird originally thought was a stranded motorist.
“It ended up being someone who was under the influence of drugs, had a mental health diagnosis, and went missing,” Baird said.
Prior to the program, drivers could land in jail. In this case, he sought mental health treatment to avoid being locked up.
“When Project FIRST mental health professionals were able to assess individuals and direct them to the services they needed, crisis-related calls decreased and in many cases stopped altogether,” said Baird. increase.
Kayleigh Abbott, 20, struggles with mental health and other diagnosed disorders and has run away from home multiple times. She was hospitalized or put in prison due to various obstacles that caused Abbott to want to escape.
“She was there for almost 30 days. I had to fight to get her out,” said Abbott’s mother, Christina Henry.
Abbott has been diagnosed with more than nine disorders, including genetic disorders, mitochondrial disorders, and level 3 autism. These diagnoses make her belligerent and aggressive towards officers, Henry said.
Abbott’s frequent escapes led to difficult situations. She was imprisoned, homeless, and sex trafficked, Henry said.
“We spent two weeks in the CHOA (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) hospital reviving her body,” Henry said. “It’s a parent’s worst nightmare.”
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Abbott escaped at least three times before being helped by Officer Baird and the department’s joint response team during the incident. He was imprisoned, Henry said.
Other agencies in Gwinnett, such as the Gwinnett County Police Department, use the Lawrenceville Co-Responder Program as a model for their own mental health services, Baird said.
“We all agencies are trying to do that, which is pretty cool,” Baird said.
Initially, the program enrolled two behavioral health clinicians from View Point Health. A clinician’s job is to listen to the radio and watch for incoming mental health calls. Clinicians can then dispatch themselves, but are most often requested by police officers on the scene.
When in the field, clinicians talk to individuals to help defuse the situation. Officer Baird said the officer’s job is to protect everyone on the scene.
The Gwinnett County Police Department mental health team has answered hundreds of calls, including one where cops and SWAT were called in March. Greyhound bus incident on I-85After arriving at the scene, officers and SWAT team members faced a mental health crisis when suspect Jaylin Buckman, 23, pulled out a gun while arguing with a passenger. I felt that I was
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Officers asked the behavioral health department to intervene. After hours of negotiations, Backman was taken into custody and given a mental health evaluation.
As the program has evolved, the team now consists of one clinician and one peer coordinator, someone who has addressed and worked through mental health or substance abuse. Officer Baird wants to add Case his manager to the team. Case managers work with peer coordinators to help people at risk get the help they need.
Since working with Baird, Abbott has undergone various treatments to help with her disability.
“I can’t imagine how many Kaleys are in prison right now,” Henry said.
