UCSO to establish mental health co-response team

ULSTER COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Ulster County Sheriff's Office has been awarded a $400,000 Community Orientated Police Services grant by the United States Department of Justice. The grant will go toward expanding the sheriff's office's Opioid Response As County Law Enforcement (ORACLE) team by establishing a crisis intervention and mental health co-response team by early 2024.

The team, known as Support and Advocacy through Frontline Engagement (SAFE), will aim to support the county's community response with operations such as following up on 911 calls related to intentional overdoses and behavioral health, connecting people in need to appropriate Department of Mental Health resources and providing behavioral health outreach to black, indigenous and people of color communities. The team will consist of clinical social workers, peer advocates and deputies trained in crisis intervention.

Congressman Pat Ryan said “Our local law enforcement officers are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic – we need to get them the proper resources to carry out the enormous responsibilities entrusted to them. These federal dollars will go a long way to combatting the addiction crisis and keeping Hudson Valley families safe. I’m proud to have supported the ORACLE program since day one – what Sheriff Figueroa and the entire Ulster County Sheriff’s office have done is nothing short of remarkable. I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to combat the opioid crisis.”

Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa said “For the past five years this office and our communities have been aggressively battling the Opioid epidemic. Our local, state, and federal partners have assisted us with this endeavor taking a multi-front approach of combating supply and demand while simultaneously using innovative ideas and strategies to connect those with the resources for help and recovery. The frontline work of our ORACLE team identified that 28 % of all non-fatal overdoses were intentional in 2022. The Federal DOJ COPS grant will establish a behavioral health co-response team fully imbedded with our law enforcement."

The sheriff continued, adding "Together with the partnership of behavior health providers, they will bridge the gap and help connect those with mental and behavior health issues associated with substance use disorder. We look forward to working with the County Executive, the Department of Mental Health, and our local partners for the betterment of our community.”