Helping Heart of Iowa Community Services support Iowans and law enforcement agencies with mental health services

But HICS wants to do even more. They spearheaded a program that, through Fiscal Year 2024, has prevented hundreds of Iowans from being incarcerated when they could be better served outside of jail.

Since the program began in July 2022, Trilix has had the privilege of helping spread the word to law enforcement agencies as they begin the program, to industry partners as they evaluate participation, and to the central Iowa public so they know how they can be best served by mental health supports.

About the CIT Co-Responder Program

Created and implemented by HICS, Inside Out Wellness & Advocacy and central Iowa law enforcement agencies, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Co-Responder Program partners one mental health professional and one law enforcement officer — both fully trained in crisis intervention tactics — as one full-time team.

If an area police department receives a call about someone experiencing a mental health crisis, the mental health professional and trained officer respond together and are first on the scene when disptached to a mental health call for service. To reduce stigma and detract from any unwanted attention, the team arrives in unmarked car, and the officer does not wear a regular uniform. 

The program allows the co-responder team to more quickly and effectively provide help to people with mental health issues in the community. Of the cases that would have likely resulted in arrest before this program, 95% of those served through this model were kept out of jail. Other program highlights as of Fiscal Year 2024 include:

• 2,692 total calls. 
• 83% of those served were de-escalated and remain stable in their community.
• 95% of those that may have otherwise been arrested were diverted from jail.
• 532 external referrals to services and supports.

“Instead of having local patrol officers spending a lot of time on calls with people experiencing mental health related issues, often serving the same people multiple times, we are able to have a mental health care specialist respond at the same time as the officer,” said Darci Alt, CEO of HICS. “Now the mental health worker can do the things they need to do, the officer, who is trained in crisis de-escalation, can work on what they need to do, and Iowans are served from multiple angles at the same time to address the root of their mental health concern.”

Sharing the story

All law enforcement agencies in the CIT Co-Responder Program complete crisis de-escalation training through SolutionPoint+. Law enforcement agencies that have participated in CIT training include police departments in Adel, Clive, Pella, Perry, Knoxville, Norwalk, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines and  Woodward. Additionally, the Dallas, Guthrie and Marion county sheriff's offices have undergone training, for a total of more than 400 law enforcement personnel trained as of July 2024.

As HICS talks about the program to their partners and looks to expand it to law enforcement agencies across the state, it’s important that all partners are on the same page about the tenants of the program. HICS is dedicated to a training model for law enforcement, crisis providers, and community providers that promotes consistency.

Trilix helped HICS create and distribute talking points for law enforcement agencies, in addition to social media posts and blogs.

What really brings the story to life are the videos we’ve created that help the CIT Co-Responder Program participants share how this innovation is making an impact. Members of our video team have shadowed the co-responder teams within the Waukee, West Des Moines and Urbandale police departments. Viewers hear directly from co-responder teams on how they work together and why they’re doing this work.

Helping more Iowans

 HICS isn’t done. The organization is looking to expand the program and get the word out to help even more people. Through Trilix’s media relations efforts, news organizations are sharing the impact of the program. By spreading the word, more Iowans will be equipped with ways to access mental health services if they’re experiencing a crisis.