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Mental health calls to police jump in 2014

Aberdeen American News (SD) - 6/28/2015

June 28--Life takes many twists and turns, and the loss of a job or a relationship can take people to a dark place.

When those dark places lead to talk of harmful behavior, law enforcement can step in. The number of such calls is on the rise.

From 2013 to 2014, the Aberdeen Police Department saw a 35 percent increase in mental health calls. In all, officers responded to 278 calls, according to the department's 2014 annual report. That's up significantly from 2013, when 206 calls came in, but the jump is less striking compared to 2012, which saw 247 calls.

Aberdeen police Capt. Jay Tobin said many mental health calls start as welfare checks, a number that's also steadily rising. In 2014 alone, the police responded to 391 welfare calls. So far this year, there have been 174 welfare calls. Some of those are also considered mental health calls.

During a welfare check, officers simply check on somebody's well-being.

The calls are just one half of the equation, though. When officers get involved, they're tasked with deciding whether a person is a threat to himself or herself or others, a guideline set by state law. If so, the person can be placed on a 24-hour mental health hold. In that time, she or he is evaluated by a qualified mental health professional. The number of mental health holds is also ticking up. In 2014, there were 130 commitments, which is up from 127 the year before. So far this year, there have been 74.

What's telling is that out of 181 mental health calls in 2010, 69 resulted in commitments. Two years later, that number had risen to 121.

A commitment can be voluntary or involuntary, and Brown County Welfare Director Clay Nelson said the county shoulders the cost of involuntary holds. In 2014, the county covered 74 claims for involuntary commitments and mental health evaluations at a cost of $90,290. So far this year, his office has paid 46 claims at a cost of $63,768. Since it's unknown what to expect from year to year, Nelson said, it's a county expense that's tough to budget.

Cause

Tobin said the higher number of calls could simply be a result of a growing local population.

Historically, Aberdeen's population has remained steady or dropped slightly. But according to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, Aberdeen's population has increased from close to 25,000 in 2009 to about 27,300 in 2013.

"I don't think the problem is that much bigger," Tobin said. "There's just more people."

Magistrate Judge Mark Anderson, though, said he's definitely noticed the increase in mental health calls. Anderson is chairman of the Brown County Mental Health Board and authorizes the treatment orders after someone has been evaluated by a mental health professional.

"There's been a dramatic increase in the last five years," he said. "The total number of cases since I've done this has doubled in the last 10 years."

Anderson attributes that increase to increased awareness.

"Awareness by the public has greatly increased, therefore people are more cautious to take action rather than have that regret later on," he said.

Tobin also pointed to social media comments as a catalyst for mental health calls.

"Social media plays a more significant role in mental health calls," Tobin said. "More people are venting on computers."

Anderson said that reactions to social media posts has probably caused an increase in calls the past four years, but not so much in the last six to nine months.

"People are more conscious about what they're posting now," Anderson said.

Crisis

Regardless of the reason, the people involved in mental health calls are going through a life crisis that has them depressed and perhaps even thinking about suicide.

"It's some high-level crisis that leads them to that dark place where they feel there aren't any other options available in their life," said Susan Kornder, interim executive director for Northeastern Mental Health.

This crisis mode can be triggered by health issues, domestic disputes, a job loss or a crumbling relationship, Kornder said.

"People reach their breaking point," she said.

Jan Patterson, chief nursing officer for Avera St. Luke's, said a predominant number of cases at Avera's behavioral health unit are situations where people are depressed and thinking about suicide.

"There's frequent times when there's alcohol or drugs involved," Patterson said.

With drugs and alcohol come risk, Patterson said, because they increase the likelihood that someone will take action on unhealthy thoughts.

Avera's behavioral health unit, commonly referred to as Two North, can handle up to 10 patients.

"We run an average daily census of seven patients," Patterson said. "We are very busy."

In addition to depression, Patterson said, there are situations where patients have stopped taking their medication and started acting bizarre. Others are struggling with dementia, she said.

Intervention

Both Patterson and Kornder agree that there are a host of support services in Aberdeen for people who are struggling with mental health issues. The police can be called in extreme situations, but there's also a crisis hotline and numerous agencies in the community available.

Kornder said Northeastern Mental Health specifically makes a point to accommodate appointment requests for people outside of traditional work hours because working out a time to leave their job can simply add stress.

"It's very important for services to be available when the client needs it," she said.

While local agencies and law enforcement work together to respond to mental health needs, the police department is exploring forming a crisis intervention team.

State law governs, and also limits, what action police can take when there's a mental health call.

For example, Tobin said, someone could be acting depressed or behaving in a bizarre manner, but that by itself doesn't always result in a mental health hold.

Forming a crisis intervention team could help with such scenarios, he said.

"They've been put in place in other communities," Tobin said. "It gives us more options, and the more options the better."

Anderson said funding and funding for training are sometimes hurdles in forming intervention squads. While a lot of the pieces are in place for support, he said, training is essential.

"I do believe it would be a great benefit to reducing the actual number of admissions if there were some immediate intervention options that could be appropriately governed or monitored," he said.

Follow @ElisaSand_aan on Twitter.

Symptoms of depression

-- Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood

-- Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism

-- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness

-- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities

-- Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"

-- Difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening or oversleeping

-- Appetite and/or weight changes

-- Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts

-- Restlessness, irritability

-- Persistent physical symptoms like headaches, stomach aches or indigestion that are not connected to another medical condition

Source: National Institute of Mental Health

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