That’s changing, and law enforcement in South Dakota recently learned that they can now connect with behavioral health professionals for personal support any time of the day or night for free as Avel eCare, a provider of clinician-to-clinician telemedicine services has now offered South Dakota law enforcement free crisis care services.
Avel eCare launched in 2020 with a model that equipped law enforcement with real-time access to behavioral health experts to assess and make informed decisions about citizens who are having a mental health crisis. The company has grown to serve more than 50 sheriff’s offices in South Dakota and is spreading into other states as well. Now, sheriff’s offices or police officers using Avel eCare can connect with behavioral health services for themselves any time.
“We began under the leadership of our South Dakota Unified Judicial System in 2019 or 2020,” said Staci Ackerman, executive director of the South Dakota Sheriffs' Association, in a statement. “At the time, I was skeptical of how this was going to work because I immediately thought of the worst-case scenarios I have had in my career. As someone who has been a certified law enforcement officer in South Dakota since 1993, I can say today that the Crisis Care Response program, through Avel eCare, has been one of the most meaningful experiences I have had.”
Police officers are known to experience higher rates of depression, burnout and PTSD than the general population. An estimated 25 percent of officers have experienced suicidal thoughts at least once, according to research.
