Behavioral Health Unit expands crisis response with new grant funding

WENATCHEE — A growing behavioral health program within the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is expanding its reach once again, this time with the help of new grant funding aimed at improving crisis response and strengthening coordination between law enforcement and mental health professionals.

The Sheriff’s Office announced that its Behavioral Health Unit has secured $54,736 in external funding to support training, equipment and operations, all without drawing on county funds.

The funding arrives as the unit continues to scale up a program that has steadily grown in both size and availability. What began as a small team of three has expanded to six members and now provides 21 hours of daily coverage, allowing for more consistent responses to behavioral health calls across the county.

That growth has been guided in part by Behavioral Health Unit Supervisor Ana Talley, who has focused on securing outside funding to sustain and expand the program.

It also reflects a broader shift in how law enforcement encounters people in crisis.

While incidents often show up as disorderly conduct, trespassing or other low-level offenses, those situations are frequently tied to underlying issues such as mental health challenges, addiction, trauma or housing instability. Those conditions do not resolve simply through arrest or citation.

For many individuals, contact with the justice system can compound those challenges, adding legal and financial pressure to circumstances that were already fragile. The result can be a cycle that strains both the individual and the emergency systems responding to them.

Programs like the Behavioral Health Unit are designed to interrupt that cycle.

The unit pairs behavioral health professionals with law enforcement response, focusing on de-escalation, connection to services and alternatives to incarceration when appropriate. Officials say that approach not only improves outcomes for individuals, but also reduces repeat calls and eases pressure on deputies and emergency responders.

The latest funding will be used to send team members to advanced training conferences focused on crisis intervention, de-escalation, suicide prevention and responder wellness. It will also support upgrades to communication systems, safety equipment and mobile workspaces used in the field.

Some of the funding will extend directly into the community, including care kits for individuals experiencing homelessness and additional tools for response vehicles.

Inside the agency, the unit has also taken on a more formal role. It now operates with dedicated office space, assigned vehicles and a defined place within the Sheriff’s Office budget. Staff are covered under collective bargaining agreements, marking a shift from earlier oversight by the Board of County Commissioners and signaling a move toward long-term stability.

As the unit evolves, Sheriff’s Office leaders say the goal remains consistent: build a response model that balances public safety with practical, compassionate intervention, and make better use of resources by addressing the root causes behind many calls for service.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media