Parisi Announces 2019 Budget Initiatives to Significantly Expand Emergency Mental Health Services, Combat Opioid Epidemic

Good afternoon,

I was pleased to announce today that my 2019 Dane County budget will include significant resources to address two areas that have put an increased strain on law enforcement and our community – emergency mental health crisis response and the opioid epidemic.

 Often, law enforcement and other emergency responders are the first at the scene when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis or an opioid overdose. By expanding proven programs, we will partner with law enforcement to give them the extra resources they need in a response, and partner with local agencies to help ensure those struggling with mental illness or addiction get the support they need.

 My upcoming budget will include the single largest increase in frontline mental health resources in Dane County’s history – a $320,000 expansion of the emergency mobile mental crisis program created two years ago. In addition, it also includes $25,000 to continue crisis intervention training done by NAMI-Dane County. And it will also bolster efforts to combat Dane County’s opioid epidemic as well by allocating $125,000 to support Safe Communities’ Emergency Department to Recovery, Jail to Recovery, and Pregnancy to Recovery programs.

 For more information, please see the following link:  https://madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/mental-health-resources-would-expand-under-dane-county-executive-joe/article_e763002a-7087-53dc-8254-185119a7d9df.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

In partnership,

 Joe Parisi
Joseph T. Parisi 
Dane County Executive 
Room 421, City-County Building 
Madison, Wisconsin  53703 
(608) 266-4114 
TDD:  Call WI Relay 711
(608) 266-2643 Fax 
parisi@countyofdane.com 
www.countyofdane.com

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