Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office partners with Stride to provide immediate crisis services to the
Community
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with Stride which opened in April 2023 as a 24/7
crisis division center, Stride is providing the Sheriff’s Office with iPads that will immediately connect
those in crisis to mental health professionals.
Law enforcement and other first responders are often the first call made when someone is experiencing
a mental health crisis, especially if the person is a danger to his or herself. The iPads provide an
additional tool for law enforcement officers to use in mental health related calls. When appropriate,
those experiencing a crisis can immediately connect with a mental health professional via Zoom. This
immediate connection can aid in de-escalating the person in crisis and provide them with immediate
follow-up services.
Sgt. Andrew Whipker, Co-coordinator for the Bartholomew County Crisis Intervention Team, said the
goal for this program is to connect those in crisis with the resources they need and reduce the number
of mental health related calls the Sheriff’s Office responds to.
“If we can invest the time up front getting a person in crisis connected to the resources they need, it will
hopefully reduce the number of calls to 911, the number of manpower hours spent responding to
mental health related calls and hospitalizations,” said Sgt. Andrew Whipker.
For Sheriff Chris Lane, mental health continues to be a main point of focus saying, “Every day my
deputies respond to those in need of mental health services and often in some sort of mental health
crisis. Resources like these tablets are another great tool for law enforcement to assist those in need of
services. My office will continue to seek out partnerships and resources in order to assist those in
getting treatment when in need.”
Additionally, Melissa Helms, Director of Crisis Services with Stride, had this to add, “We are so excited
about our continued partnership with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office. They have been
fantastic partners and are so committed to ensuring that individuals in crisis have access to mental
health and substance services. They have partnered with the Stride Center and Stride mobile since we
started planning. We know that having immediate access to our mobile staff through the tablets will
allow for greater opportunities to connect immediately with individuals in need and hopefully provide
support to law enforcement to help encourage individuals to get connected to care.”