Recognizing the need for more efficient and effective mental health crises responses, CCSO has partnered with Charlotte Behavioral Health Care to provide an immediate, multi-faceted response. The IRIS Team will be available to respond to certain calls for service and assist our community with mental health/substance abuse related calls. This is a co-responder team consisting of law enforcement and a mental health clinician riding together. Some examples of calls to which the IRIS Team may respond include:
- Repeat callers to 911 and high system users
- Clients who are identified as high utilizers of the public health system
- Persons with known mental illness disconnected from services and causing concern in the community
- Suicidal attempts and completions
- Drug overdoses
- Follow up for emergency petitions done by law enforcement deputies
- Habitual runaway juveniles
- Clients who are mentally ill and/or suffer from substance abuse and at high risk of becoming involved in the judicial system
- Victims and witnesses of traumatic events
- Death notifications
- Well-being checks
- Lift assists
- Chronic non-life-threatening medical complaints
Additionally, the team will expand to include a Charlotte County Fire and EMS paramedic in the near future, providing yet another potentially life-saving element to the response.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is proud to be a part of this initiative and knows it will aid in providing much-needed help and saving the lives of those in our community most in need.