Law Enforcement Liaisons

Mental health emergency support.

We understand that situations involving mental health concerns can sometimes require an emergency response. The Foundation 2 Crisis Services’ law enforcement liaison program helps connect people experiencing an emergency mental health situation with the best resources possible. Our trained crisis counselors respond to calls involving potential or confirmed mental health concerns, typically alongside local police. These services are available to everyone in the service area, regardless of situation, income or other demographics.

Liaison services work to reduce unnecessary hospitalization or jail time for mental-health-related crises. Many law enforcement departments also report a reduction in repeated mental-health-related calls.

A majority of calls are resolved with stabilization in the community, allowing individuals to remain at home and receive supportive services, improving their well-being and reducing future law-enforcement involvement. Individuals can also be connected with hospitalization, a crisis stabilization bed, and other community supports.

This service is currently available through the:

Cedar Rapids Police Department
Benton County Sheriff’s Department (including the Vinton Police Department, Belle Plaine Police Department, and Urbana Police Department)
Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department
Dubuque Police Department
Marion Police Department
Linn County Sheriff’s Department
Delaware County Sheriff’s Department

Connecting

The local fire department, police department, and area ambulance service were called to the residence of an adult individual daily – sometimes multiple times per day – due to mental health crises and manic behaviors.

The Foundation 2 Law Enforcement Liaison walked through a committal process with the individual’s mother and father, and the individual was able to access a higher level of care at a mental health facility.

Returning to Safety

An adult with multiple serious mental health diagnoses wandered out alone on a nature trail. They walked until they reached a construction zone, became disoriented, and panicked. They called 911 for support.

Guided by dispatch, the Foundation 2 Crisis Services’ Law Enforcement Liaison was able to navigate through the trail and construction zone and find the client, who was pacing the trail, anxious and scared. The liaison was able to de-escalate the client, build trust, do an evaluation, and transport them to a Crisis Stabilization Bed for continued support.

Reducing Risk

The Law Enforcement Liaison was contacted by a family whose relative was returning to the local community and had recently been making threats to seriously harm others. In almost every call with the Liaison, the individual would indicate that they wanted to die via suicide by cop.

The Liaison worked behind the scenes with law enforcement, the individual’s family, and service providers to ensure that mental health services are being followed through with to mitigate their risk to the community.