(Greensburg, IN) – Greensburg City Council voted Tuesday night to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).
The CIT’s main focus is to create an atmosphere that puts mental and behavioral health top of mind, and is aimed at getting those who need interventions the help they need.
Police Chief Mike McNealy presented the MOU to council, and says it provides a framework for administrative and financial responsibilities between his department, the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, plus the city and county government entities.
The program is being funded through at least the next five years by a $5 million Lilly Endowment grant received by the Decatur County Community Foundation.
After the Lilly funds expire, they’ll look for more grants and other funding sources to keep the program going.
McNealy informed council that, as of Tuesday, nearly two dozen interventions had taken place since the program was introduced earlier this year.
It was in January when the Greensburg Board of Works and City Council both received information from Decatur County Sheriff Bill Meyerrose and Jail Commander Mike Eggleston about the program.
Eggleston said the program’s benefits include steering those having a crisis from landing in jail or the emergency room, and cutting down on recidivism.
Meyerrose emphasized the importance of the CIT directing people to the appropriate resources, including inpatient or outpatient services, plus referrals while – at the same time – reducing the stigma about mental health.
