KALISPELL — It's a team that helps law enforcement respond to calls from domestic violence situations to addiction.
Now thanks to grant funding from the National Opioid Settlement Agreement, Flathead County and the City of Kalispell have reached an agreement to add and sustain these behavioral health resources.
Close to $100,000 a year for the next two decades will help fund the county’s Crisis Assistance Team (CAT), which has been in place since August of 2020.
The CAT team responds to a variety of calls with law enforcement often involving domestic violence, suicide, child abuse, and other social disruptions.
The Crisis Assistance Team works under the Flathead City-County Health Department and helps determine if there is a need for treatment or hospitalizations and can also provide a subject with referrals and resources.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said sustainable funding for the crisis assistance team is a step in the right direction as the demand for mental health services continues to grow in Flathead County.
“Some of the shortfalls that we have seen — sometimes with population growth or lack of resources. I think there is a lot of opportunities, I think this coinciding with the state looking at mental health programs, I think it’s a bright future of looking at better systems in place for mental health,” said Sheriff Heino.
The Flathead City-County Health Department plans on working closely with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, 911 and police departments across the county to provide resources.
