About the Mental Health Unit

The Iron County Mental Health Unit (ICMHU) is a specialized, multi-agency team trained to respond to the mental health related calls that our citizens experience. This program teams law enforcement and psychology professionals into a response model that better serves the community by focusing on not only the citizens living with mental illness, but also on the care structure and families of those citizens.

Our goal as a county-wide program is to focus on treatment rather than punishment wherever possible. By placing an emphasis on treatment, we can change the outcomes for our citizens in a positive way that allows them a greater quality of life and reduces the call load on the agencies. We strive to strengthen ties with our community members and develop a greater understanding of the unique challenges that individuals with mental illnesses experience.

Mental well-being is intertwined with numerous other factors. It can impact one’s thoughts, emotions, reactions to stressors, relationships with others, decisions, & actions. Thus, an emphasis on supporting and improving the mental health of our community can have a positive impact on other areas as well. Focusing on treatment outcomes can strengthen individuals’ coping skills, positively impact thinking patterns & behavior, and improve one’s physical health. Overall, these benefits can lead to an enhanced quality of life and reduced call load on police agencies. Given that mental illnesses are increasing in prevalence nationwide, it is vital to find solutions that reverse this trend. The Mental Health Unit strives to bridge the gaps between law enforcement and our citizens living with mental illness in order to best achieve these positive outcomes.

The program consists of a three tiered system designed to address mental health issues in our county from the point of contact by patrol officers through case management and follow up.

• Tier 1- officers who have completed a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). This level of training allows officers to have a basic understanding of both mental illnesses and what the mental health consumer goes through in their involvement with law enforcement. This provides our officers with a better understanding of how to enact positive solutions for all involved.
• Tier 2- specialty patrol unit made up of officers who respond to mental illness calls and transient issues in our county. These officers attend a second 40-hour academy training that focuses on a deeper understanding of those living with mental illness and their care structure. Tier Two officers possess a greater knowledge of resources and utilize out of the box thinking to develop solutions to help the mental health consumer. These officers are certified in CIT practices and attend follow up training on a yearly basis that exceed the nation’s best practice standards.
• Tier 3- officers and mental health professionals who conduct follow up and case management as well as conduct case disposition through either non court means, criminal court, and mental health court to achieve better solutions for the problems our citizens face in their daily lives.