LEXINGTON, Ky. — During his Team Kentucky update Thursday afternoon, Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., announced Lexington has received a federal grant from the Kentucky Department of Medicaid Services to establish a mental health crisis response team. 

The three-year grant, which is $850,000, resulted from a collaborative effort between the Lexington Fire and Police Departments. According to the mayor’s office, the city can now hire a full-time mental health professional to respond directly to mental health calls with the police department. It will also provide overtime funding to approximately 45 police officers who have taken specialized training in responding to mental health emergencies.

“This is an enormous step forward in our ability to respond to mental health emergencies,” Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said. “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 Capt. Seth Lockard helped write the grant, according to the mayor’s office. The plan is for the Crisis Response Team to work weekdays as it’s when the city receives the most mental health calls, Lockard said. Approximately 3,000 calls are received a year; however, fewer come in at night or on weekends.

The team may also be able to reduce the number of police officers and firefighters who respond to mental health calls, allowing for more specialized mental health resources, according to the city. 

“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.”

According to the city, the team falls in line with a recommendation from the 2020 Mayor’s Commission for Racial Justice & Equality, which included a goal to “direct calls pertaining to individuals with Mental Health, Addiction and Homelessness issues to appropriate services and to avoid incarceration and hospitalization.”