Although Mental Health issues may not seem like a Law Enforcement issue - they are one of the most common situations we frequently deal with in some format or another. Officers may deal with the symptoms of someone with Mental Illness such as suicide, behavior disorders, depression, anxiety, or drug problems. Becker County has a Comprehensive Crisis Response Program (CCRP) to assist families and people struggling with urgent and immediate concerns about mental health or other problems within the family.

The goal of the CCRP is to be a intermediate-step before involving Law Enforcement or other Healthcare Providers. For example, many times parents will call Law Enforcement when they are having difficulty with one or more of their children. With the exception of certain extreme situations, there isn't much a Law Enforcement Officer can do to help besides giving the proper referral to Human Services, Counseling Programs, or a Church Pastor.

This does not include situations of alleged abuse or incidents that a person has done or talked about harming themselves or another. These types of situations ARE emergencies and you should Dial 911 immediately!

But there are many more types of situations where someone may be suffering from a mental illness and not even know it:
A case of depression or "the blues" that lasts over two weeks, extreme anxiety, perceived paranoia, eating disorders, or unusual outbursts of aggression. A person may just feel "something bad is going to happen" but not know why or just can't focus on the normal day-to-day activities that need to be done. All these signs may be the trigger for something more serious later. This is where the CCRP can help BEFORE Law Enforcement or a Mental Health Provider needs to become involved... because by that time it may be too late.  

The Comprehensive Crisis Response Program (CCRP) services are provided through an agreement between many School Districts and Mental Health providers in the White Earth and Becker County region.

These services include Assessment, Intervention, and Stabilization:

If you are concerned that your child is in crisis you can call your child's school and ask for the Crisis Worker, or if school is not in session but regular business hours, you can call any local mental health provider or human service agency and ask for a crisis assessment.

At night/weekends/holidays, or if you personally facing a crisis of your own, call 850-HELP or toll free at 1 (877) 380-3621.

Trained volunteers from CCRP may come directly to your house if the situation needs immediate intervention or stabilization assistance.

Other local helpful providers for mental health include:

Becker County Human Service at (218) 847-5628

Lakeland Mental Health Center at (218) 847-1676

Meritcare Clinic - Psychology at (218) 846-2102

The Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800) 273-8255

Also General Crisis Intervention and Help at: Lakes Crisis Center (877) 754-9683