Oklahoma Eyes Telehealth to Help Police During Mental Health Crises
A bill before Oklahoma lawmakers would give law enforcement a telehealth link to local mental health experts to assess someone having a mental health emergency.
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By - Oklahoma lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow police officers to use telehealth to help assess someone having a mental health crisis, rather than immediately taking that person into protective custody.
SB 1208, sponsored by State Senator Michael Bergstrom, would give responding law enforcement officers the opportunity to connect with a licensed mental health professional via telemedicine for an initial assessment. If that assessment determined that emergency detention isn’t needed, the officer would have the authority to transport that person to a facility providing the appropriate level of care, or even back home.
The bill would enable the mental health professional to work with police and the patients to determine the best place for care. It would still give law enforcement the authority to take someone into custody if it was determined the person was not medically stable.
