To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Tyler Brown, Sheriff
Prepared By:
prepared
Kevin Heaton, Captain, Patrol Services, Sheriff's Office
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presenter
Presenter:
Kevin Heaton, Captain, Patrol Services; Julie Jacobs, Behavioral Health Program Manager, Sheriff's Office
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Subject:
title
1:00 PM *Grant Opportunity: De-escalation and Crisis Response Training Program
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this request is for the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to consider approving the electronic submission of a grant application to the Bureau of Justice to assist with the funding of 40 hour CIT trainings that serve Sheriff's Office staff but also neighboring departments and to purchase virtual reality (VR) training equipment to help supplement ongoing de-escalation training.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Safe and Healthy Communities - Expand mental and behavioral health service partnerships, crisis response, and co-responder programs.
Background and Discussion: The Sheriff's Office wishes to apply for a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide funding for additional Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) technology to supplement CIT course work. In October 2023, the Sheriff's Office was awarded this same DOJ grant in the amount of $344,882.00 which ends in September 2026.
Since its inception in 2020, the Co-Responder Program has responded to over 13,880 calls for service. The growing mental health crisis in the Country and specifically the State of Colorado has placed increasing demand on deputies to be trained in mental health awareness. The ability to improve our response to individuals in a mental health crisis and direct the appropriate resources to the citizens is therefore crucial and aligns with Arapahoe County's goal to improve individuals' Quality of Life.
The addition of VR training in de-escalation would allow the Arapahoe C...
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