CCS responds with law enforcement
By Terry Murry on Friday, July 1st, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – Community Counseling Solutions is taking an active role in Umatilla County’s mental health and substance abuse crises. In the past, police were on the front lines of such calls, but CCS Executive Director Kimberly Lindsay says that experts from her agency will respond as well.
The county is providing CCS with two vans and the board of commissioners has also approved a transport officer position with the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office. Community Counseling Solutions has agreed to pay for the initiation of the service.
“These vans have basic medical exam devices installed,” Lindsay said. “There’s an assessment room. There’s a place where we can provide individual and family support.”
Lindsay said that the two vans will be stationed in Hermiston and Pendleton. The vans contain video uplinks so that medical advice can be sought and they come equipped with Narcan for fentanyl overdoses.
“It will provide just a better service overall to residents when we are responding and hopefully mean in some cases maybe they may not need to access the emergency room,” she said.
Photo is of Community Counseling Solutions’ office in Boardman.
