LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington plans to establish a crisis response team to respond to mental health calls after receiving an $850,000 grant from the Kentucky Department of Medicaid Services.
The announcement came Thursday from Gov. Andy Beshear, saying the application for the grant was a collaborative effort involving the Lexington Police and Fire Departments.
The grant will allow the city to hire a full-time mental health professional to respond to mental health calls with the police. It also provides overtime funding for officers who have been trained to respond to mental health emergencies. There are currently around 45 of these officers.
“This is an enormous step forward in our ability to respond to mental health emergencies,” said Mayor Linda Gorton. “It will make it possible for us to provide the most appropriate response to an individual in crisis and connect them to the best resource.”
Fire Captain Seth Lockard, who helped write the grant, said after reviewing when most mental health calls are placed, the plan is to have the response team work on weekdays. Lexington has around 3,000 calls each year, with fewer of them coming in at night or on weekends.
“With a mental health professional involved, we may be able to provide a more focused approach for the person in crisis,” Lockard said. “Ultimately it is all about the citizen in need, and what is best for them.”
The release says that this follows a recommendation from the Mayor's Commission for Racial Justice and Equality in 2020, which said one of its goals was to “direct calls pertaining to individuals with Mental Health, Addiction, and Homelessness issues to appropriate services and to avoid incarceration and hospitalization.”
