SE Vegas News

The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services was recently given a grant to buy tablets for 11 police organizations that will help its employees access mental health personnel via telehealth sessions.  

According to NV.gov, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust gifted $3.8 million for law enforcement workers to always have access to resources to improve their mental health through the Virtual Crisis Care program.  

“Nevadans across the state all deserve access to care when in need or experiencing a crisis," Gov. Steve Sisolak (D-NV) told NV.gov. "I am so thankful to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their partnership on this innovative project that will put resources into the hands of our rural law enforcement officers.”

A similar South Dakota program helped the state model their program, which will provide officers with mental health resources to overcome any problems they encounter on the field.

“This partnership between law enforcement and behavioral health professionals has been instrumental in providing top-notch care on scene while reducing unnecessary trips to emergency rooms, mental health hospitals and jails," Walter Panzirer, a trustee with the Helmsley Charitable Trust, told NV.gov. "We’re excited to help bring this innovative program to Nevada and improve rural and frontier residents’ access to vital mental health resources.”

The Treatment Advocacy Center reports that police officials deal with mental health situations in one out of every five calls, and this program will help them address those issues.  

“Providing access to mental health care for all Nevadans is a priority, and being able to work with our law enforcement partners to equip them with the tools and make sure that happens is a major step forward," Misty Vaughan Allen, Nevada’s state suicide prevention coordinator, told NV.gov. "This new telehealth option will allow immediate, on-site assistance to anyone in crisis.”