Press Release
Alex Bakken, Carbon County Sheriff
It’s no secret that our deputies wear many hats, both in our patrol and detention divisions. A “typical” day could include arresting a violent offender, removing a barricaded inmate out of a cell, moving cows, or, in a scenario that we see far too often, responding to an individual suffering a mental health crisis.
With all the duties that our Wyoming peace officers are tasked with, it’s unfair to expect them to be clinically licensed behavioral health professionals as well. However, responding to individuals suffering mental health crises is a very real part of our job, both in the jail on the street.
That’s where Avel Crisis Care comes in.
Thanks to a grant procured by the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office will be partnering with Avel Crisis Care to help individuals suffering from mental health crises.
Avel Crisis Care provides our deputies 24/7 access to a real-live licensed behavioral health professional via a tablet. When interacting with an individual suffering from a mental health crisis, our deputies can use these professionals to help assist with de-escalation, stabilization, and real-time safety assessments anywhere in the county.
We hope that our partnership with Avel will help our team respond to individuals suffering from mental health crises in a more effective manner, providing the opportunity for real-time engagement with a licensed behavioral health professional during a time of crisis.
Thank you to Avel and the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police for making this project possible.
- Sheriff Alex Bakken
