Grapevine Center hosts police for luncheon
The Grapevine Center, a mental health-based nonprofit located on North Elm Street in Butler, hosted 15 law officers and first responders from several different departments across Butler County for a relationship-building luncheon with the people at the drop-in center on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
The officers represented various departments and professions at both the state and county level, including a probation officer and a county 911 dispatcher.
“The whole point of it is to be social and do activities with the people … so people aren't so afraid and are more comfortable being around cops,” said Bette Peoples, executive director of the Grapevine Center.
For the officers, this was part of a Crisis Intervention Team training program which is offered twice a year. The program — which is based on a program which was first developed in Memphis, Tenn. in the 1980s and spread nationwide — trains officers to better respond to mental health emergencies.
“We hold two of these a year, spring and fall,” said Rich Wozniak, steering committee member for the intervention team program in Butler County. “And in those mid-times, we are developing the training, putting some new stuff in, and finding out who wants to be involved in the training.”
“(The program) entails different speakers coming in talking about trauma, suicide, veterans,” said county probation officer Tammy Courson. “It's just a different way for people to let us know how we should actually deal with the public when they have mental illness or trauma.”
The day before, Wozniak and the 12 officers going through the training held a similar luncheon at The Arc of Butler County, a nonprofit organization located on Hollywood Drive devoted to helping those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Wozniak says that events like these are crucial training experiences for those going through the crisis intervention training.
“We talk to individuals that have lived experience,” Wozniak said. “We’re talking in class about all the diagnoses and what to look for, so now these officers can go and engage with an individual, that might be struggling and have a better understanding of where that individual is coming from.”
In addition to the officers, Donna Lamison, executive director of NAMI Butler County, was on hand to promote the services that NAMI has to offer for those dealing with mental health issues. This includes peer-to-peer and family-to-family mental health support groups and courses for family and friends of those with mental health issues.
