In response to growing gaps in mental health care, the Olathe Police Department has another tool to help more people.
The department added a second mental health co-responder to help officers with mental health crisis calls. They connect people to services and treatment, rather than jail or the ER.
Olathe is the only department on the metro's Kansas side with two co-responders.
A second co-responder will work when the other is off, expanding the number of hours they can provide mental health support.
The department receives around 2,000 mental health crisis calls a year. Coupling rising numbers with recent state mental health care cuts, police departments are finding they are shouldering much of the burden.
The program is a partnership with Johnson County Mental Health, which is funding the new position.
