988 Lifeline decals to be added to Mercer County Sheriff's Office cruisers
According to a press release, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline decals will be placed on all Mercer County Sheriff's Office's department cruisers as part of a partnership between Community Connections, the Mercer County Coalition for Healthy Communities, and the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.
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By placing these decals on patrol vehicles, we're sending a clear message to the community: help is always available, and it's okay to reach out. We're proud to work with the Mercer County Sheriff's Department to promote this life-saving resource.
Candace Harless | Chairperson of the Mercer County Coalition for Healthy Communities
The press release stated that the addition of the decals during Mental Health Awareness Month in May will mark the first time a sheriff's office in the Mountain State added 988 decals to their cruisers, and is part of the Mercer County Coalition for Healthy Communities' goal to increase access and raise awareness to mental health support in the Mountain State.
We see this daily – the mental health crisis that is going on and sometimes that flows over to our guys. So, this is a dual-purpose thing for us. If our guys can help those that are in need, then they see it is okay for them to ask for help as well
Sheriff Alan Christian | Mercer County Sheriff's Department
Sheriff Christian's department has been undergoing crisis intervention training, which will help them better communicate with those who are suffering from mental health issues.
Sheriff Christian and Harless hope that other departments around the state will get on board to make everyone aware of 9-8-8's services.
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According to the press release, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which allows people to get into contact with trained crisis counselors by using a three digit number 24/7 especially for those dealing with suicidal, mental health, or substance use crises, was launched in July 2022.
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