Community Counseling Center and Cape Girardeau Police Department partner for new Behavioral Health position

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Community Counseling Center and Cape Girardeau Police Department (CGPD) are teaming up to create a new position.

The position is Behavioral Health Co-responder. There will be two hires for this new role.  

Behavioral Health Crisis Center Program Manager Savannah Martin says these roles will help serve community members that may be experiencing mental issues.  

“Interactive calls whenever someone potentially suicidal having a behavioral health crisis or just maybe needing a little extra support on that day the behavioral health professional will respond with law enforcement,” said Martin. 

The behavioral health co-responders will be able to assist in ways such as helping individuals with finding local community resources and providing access to behavioral treatment as well.   

“Be able to provide that experience from the behavioral health side and be able to provide access to referrals for treatment,” said Martin. 

Cape Girardeau Police Department Public Information Officer Corporal Ryan Droege says the addition of the health co-responders will also help to assist CGPD in areas they are less experienced.  

“It’s also going to be great for our department,” Cpl. Droege said. “It’s going to help us reduce call volume. A lot of calls we receive are these mental health calls and we didn’t always have the resources to help them or the proper training to help them so to get them that type of service is going to be great.”  

The Community Counseling Center and Cape Girardeau Police Department hope this move will help better meet the needs of the community 

For more information on this position visit Careers At Community Counseling Center  or email The Community Counseling Center at Employment@cccntr.Com