Union County, Ohio, part of the Columbus Metro area is home to nearly 63,000 residents.
Union County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO) began a robust community program in early 2020 that includes CIT training and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) to address mental health crises. UCSO seeks to further develop community partnerships with treatment providers, peer support agencies, police departments, and community members by implementing additional community policing practices in their crisis response. By realigning the organizational structure of personnel through the addition of a mental health and substance use professional for follow-up care, UCSO engages in proactive strategies that address the identified problem of mental health crises and substance use disorders in Union County. Cohort 2021.
Program Goals
The grant funding allows UCSO to reduce the number of people with mental health conditions in jail. They look to accomplish this by training first responders in de-escalation techniques and to route individuals to Maryhaven, a behavioral health and addiction treatment center, as opposed to jail.
Key Partnership Organizations
Mental Health and Recovery Board of Union County (MHRBUC)