Hunter
09/17/24
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is ending a contract with CommUnity Crisis Services that provided a mental health liaison to the law enforcement agency.
The Gazette reports the Sheriff’s Office is planning to hire its own mental health liaison as an internal employee. Sheriff Brad Kunkel told the newspaper in an email that he felt it important to provide the liaison with a salary and benefit package the county can offer as a Sheriff’s Office employee.
CEO of Community Crisis Services Sarah Nelson said if the current liaison isn’t hired by the Sheriff’s Office for the internal position, she will be offered a different position with their Mobile Crisis/Law Enforcement program.
The article also reports CommUnity still provides mental health liaisons to other law enforcement agencies in Eastern Iowa, including the Iowa City Police Department and multiple Iowa County agencies. A posting on the nonprofit’s website reports that its law enforcement liaisons responded to 538 mental health related calls and follow up referrals in 2023.
Half the funding for the Sheriff’s Office internal position will come from the Mental Health/Disability Services of the East Central Region of Iowa, with the other half coming from County funds.