Can a mental health crisis model work in rural areas?

Here’s what often happens when someone in Jefferson County suffers a mental health crisis:

That person calls 911, and a Sheriff’s deputy responds. Most deputies are trained in crisis intervention, so they can evaluate people on the scene for mental health issues — “We’re trained to ask tough questions,” says County Sheriff Tom Grimsrud. But they must do so often at the same time as they’re evaluating a potential crime.

Officers decide whether people are a threat to themselves or others. Those that are may be put in a squad car or an ambulance, depending on the circumstances — some transported to jail, others to an emergency room.