Chisa County, Minnesota — The Chisago County Sheriff's Office announced that a combination of technology and compassion successfully rescued a person experiencing a mental health crisis earlier this week.
The agency said dispatchers received “specific, reliable, and time-sensitive information regarding a suicidal individual.”
“In those situations, we want to try to find this person as quickly as possible, get in touch with them and get them the help they need, and you know time is of the essence.” said Sgt. Kyle Puelston.
As a result, the sheriff's office decided to launch a drone to assist in the response.
“It's not a go-to device or the right tool for every job, but in this case it was exactly what was needed,” Puelston said. “Now, with a single device, you can get information that would take 10, 20, 30 people hours to search an area, but in minutes with a drone.”
The drone searched the park and was eventually able to find a person who appeared to be out of place.
“Eventually, he was able to find someone walking along a rock ledge, pacing back and forth, and then walked away from the ledge to the ledge. .And I think that drew his attention to that person and said, 'He's what we're looking for,''' Puelston said. “We hope that we can find this person, get him the help he needs, reunify him with his family and have a positive long-term outcome, but if the drone operator had not been working It may not have happened, it probably never happened.'' He knew how to effectively use a drone at night to find that person. ”
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“I'm fascinated by the way this group of people came together and leveraged technology and all the resources they had to really save someone's life,” said the founder of Wellness in the World, a nonprofit that helps individuals experiencing hardship. said Jode Freiholz London, CEO of The Woods. Mental health and/or drug use.
She says it's important to recognize that if someone hadn't called the police, the outcome might not have been positive.
“When most of us see some type of physical crisis occurring, we expect someone to jump in, whether it's a nurse, an assigned reporter, or someone trained in CPR. ” she said. “When we have a mental health crisis, we don't always do that because we don't know if we're doing the right thing. We don't know what to say or what to do. I don't know. And so many, many people do,” I confirm with the caller. ”
The National Council on Behavioral Health says you're more likely to come into contact with someone who has a mental health problem than someone who has a heart attack or chokes on food at a restaurant.
Dr. Freiholz-London says mental health first aid is a valuable skill that people should learn.
“The people who are making that decision are doing it without thinking that there is hope. And if we can give people hope and actually show them that they care, they will care. “There are people out there…because so many of us have dealt with this issue, suicidal thoughts, feeling like we're all alone and life can't get any better,” Freiholz-London said. Told. “What we want to do is provide a calm environment and an environment that assures them that we are there for them.”
One acronym to remember is ALGEE.
- A – Approach and assess risk.
- L – Listen without prejudice.
- G – Provide reassurance and information
- E – Encourage appropriate professional assistance
- E – Encourage self-help and support strategies
Both Freiholtz London and Sgt. Puelston says calling for backup is never a bad choice.
“If we don't get called in to respond to that incident, we won't be able to provide them with the assistance they might need. Whether it's a mental health crisis or a person drinking on the street. We need the public's help, whether it's driving, giving us 'information so we know where to respond and what's going on,''' Puelston said.
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“If you ask for extra help, you'll never make a wrong choice. If you don't ask for help, you could make a fatal choice. Sometimes it's like, “Hello, are you okay? I care about you.'' We just need to say, “I'm hanging on.'' For those of us who find ourselves in such difficult situations, we don't feel worthy or that tomorrow will be better,'' Freiholtz-London said. he said. “So for anyone who has the courage to ask that question, please go out and say something that may be uncomfortable for you. It can absolutely save lives. I think it's essential.”
Mental health resources: If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, emergency services are available 24 hours a day. Call **CRISIS (**274747) from your mobile phone to speak to a team of experts who can help. Text MN to 741741. Learn more about.
