Ravalli County first responders participate in mental health crisis training

Ravalli County first responders have been taking part in a training academy this week in the Bitterroot.

Everyone's experiences are different and that makes everyone's mental health different.

So in times of crisis, first responders need to know how to empathetically communicate and de-escalate the situation.

To do so, they took part in several intense simulations. In one, an actor was hearing voices and feared for the safety of her family.

“What makes you feel safe?" asked a participant.

"Talking to my family," the actor responded.

Emily Brown/MTN News

"Talking to your family makes you feel safe?" the participant echoed.

The actor answered, "Well yeah if they’re safe then I’m safe.”

Hamilton Police Department Lieutenant Don Niemeir told MTN that the simulations were very realistic and translated to what he's seen on real calls.

“Scenarios they're no joke, they're pretty high speed, they're loud and it requires those of us that are taking this training to really step back, listen to this person, try to ascertain their needs and meet them where they are," detailed Niemeir.

This mental health training is the first that emergency service staff have conducted in the Bitterroot since 2020.

“We're teaching officer safety and of course, empathy. We are seeing people on their worst days and we really want to be empathetic and kind and genuine because we know that that's gonna go a long way,” Behavioral Health Manager for the Ravalli County Sheriff's Office Jaime Biesiot shared.

Emily Brown/MTN News

The Crisis Intervention Academy offered emergency service staff the opportunity to sharpen their situational awareness skills.

“Recognizing early on that it's a mental health crisis versus moving in with some kind of enforcement," Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton explained.

The classes are also connecting people from different agencies.

“We're bringing together all of our agencies, all of our partners across the community so that we can use each other and really respond when it's appropriate and get them any assistance or help that they need,” Biesiot expressed.

“You probably can't put a value on, on having that relationship before you need it,” Sheriff Holton added.

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