- Georgia Pines’ Co-Responder Program pairs a licensed therapist with police officers during calls involving mental health concerns.
- The goal is to de-escalate situations, reduce arrests, and connect people to free or low-cost treatment services.
- Nearly 25% of all individuals served by Georgia Pines last year were from Thomas County — highlighting the local need.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Nearly half of all people in jails or prisons have been diagnosed with a mental illness, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics — but jails aren't built to treat them.
I'm taking a closer look at a local program that's changing how mental health crises are handled in the field — before they lead to an arrest.
"Sometimes you come across folks who are having trouble and jail is not the place for them. Maybe they're having some mental health difficulties, maybe they're just not sure what to do. An officer might only have the choice of leaving them alone or taking them to jail if things seem dangerous. What we provide is a third option," said Gregory Roberts, Co-responder with Georgia Pines.
Georgia Pines — a community mental health provider that offers mostly free services — now partners with Thomasville police officers to ride along during patrols.
The goal is to take a gentler approach during mental health calls…
helping people get treatment instead of locking them up when that's not what they really need.
"One of the things that I have learned over my 35-year career as a police officer, that we were doing it wrong for several years. How we dealt with people in crisis and things like that. It wasn't because we wanted to do it wrong, because we had no other alternative," said Chief Glover from Thomasville Police.
Now, when a crisis call comes in, a therapist like Gregory can join officers on scene — helping to calm things down, assess what's going on, and connect the person to services like counseling, detox, or a crisis center.
"And officers try to do that. They're trained to do a lot of things, but they're not trained like a therapist who's been gone to school anywhere from four to six years and have gotten their license and are able to say, okay, I have a better feel about the resources that are available," said Robert Hurns, Ceo of Georgia Pines.
And it's not just better for the community — it's helping officers, too.
"Prior to this, we would have to take them, force them in the car, take them to the jail, have somebody come out to the hospital, and have somebody evaluate them. Then we'll get them to the crisis center, wherever that case may be. That's hours beyond hours and hours of time," said Chief Roger Wade Glover.
Now, instead of force, it often just takes a conversation.
"I'd say upwards of 80 percent of the folks that I come in contact with, if they need to go to a crisis center, they go voluntarily. because folks are pretty smart. a lot of the folks that I talk to have a pretty good idea of what they're dealing with. They just don't know how to deal with it," said Roberts.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis in Thomasville, you can call this number to get immediate help: (229) 225-3917.
For more resources, Georgia Pines is hosting a Mental Health Awareness Fair on May 21st from 10 AM to 2 PM — a chance for individuals and families to connect with support.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
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