This story discusses mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. For local mental health resources, click here.
DANE COUNTY, Wis. — The Dane County Sheriff’s Office has hired five mental health deputies in response to increased demand for mental health help.
Deputy Scott Herrem started working with the department in 2001. In 2022, he made the transition to become a mental health deputy.
“Ultimately, we don’t want to respond to someone’s house over and over and over; we want to connect them to the resources they need,” Herrem said. “So, it is fulfilling to do that and then see the need for active service go down.”
During the pandemic, mental health needs increased; the Dane County Sheriff’s department said the demand for resources has continued to grow since then.
In 2021, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office responded to 1,386 mental health-related calls. In 2022, the department responded to 1,434 mental health-related calls.
Herrem said prior to becoming a mental health deputy, he felt under equipped and anxious when going on patrol calls. Now, he said he is well equipped to respond to the calls he goes out on and can spend more time with community members during a mental health crisis.
On average, Wisconsin police officers receive at least 40 hours of crisis intervention training.
Mental health deputies at Dane County Sheriff’s Office go through more extensive training that the department said better prepares officers for a variety of calls.
“I have had extensive training in different mental health issues, alcoholism, dementia, autism, developmental problems — to really understand the nuances and then, in particular, what resources in the county I can refer these people to,” said Herrem.
Herrem said he hopes to collaborate with outreach workers to better address those in need in the community; he said he’s already recognized the importance of specialized training in helping others.
“It is really important for someone with a mental health crisis to have the patience and the time to really get into the call and understand the nature of what is going on and get them the resources they need,” said Herrem.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office has also partnered with Journey Mental Health. Outreach workers from Journey Mental Health sometimes accompany officers on calls, but due to a staffing shortage, Journey Mental Health positions remain unfilled.